


Baby Baby

by neferlemon



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Family Feels, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-02 16:14:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8674027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neferlemon/pseuds/neferlemon
Summary: Mysteriously de-aged Infinite members and Woogyu trying to be parents; this is the story of their many failures and success.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~
> 
> I'm starting another chaptered fic although I have another ongoing fic right now, but writing this is such a guilty pleasure after writing the two other angst-ridden fic. The good news is that this fic is short, only 5 chapters and I've written 3/5. So I thought it will be okay to post this right now. (Though I really shouldn't promise anything like fast update because I'm really slow)
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy the fluff! Happy winter!

 

 

-

It was unfortunate that this kind of thing had to happen when Sunggyu was spending the night over.

But, if he thought again for another minute, it was _fortunate_ that it happened when Sunggyu was spending the night over.

He woke up with something heavy and wet on his chest. He felt it even before he opened his eyes and he freaked out a little. What if a giant slug managed to sneak into Dongwoo’s bedroom and settled itself on Sunggyu’s chest?

He told himself that he was being ridiculous and opened his eyes. As soon as he did, he wished it was giant slug on his chest instead of child.

_A child_.

A little bit disoriented, he blinked. But the child won’t go away, his black hair sticking everywhere, his drool leaving a white trail on Sunggyu’s black t-shirt. The child had big lips, like Dongwoo’s. Actually, he looked _exactly_ like Dongwoo.

“Dongwoo-yah!” he called for help. He didn’t remember Dongwoo had any relatives this age. He only had one niece, and she was a toddler, not a giant elementary student.

And where was Dongwoo? They had a drink last night and when they finished, it was late. Dongwoo told him to spend the night in his apartment and Sunggyu obliged. They crashed on Dongwoo’s queen size bed together because Dongwoo – being Dongwoo – refused to let Sunggyu sleep on the couch.

So, where was him? Dongwoo usually won’t even get up before noon on holiday such like today.

Sunggyu dislodge the child lying comfortably on his chest and quickly got off the bed. The child didn’t even stir and continued snoring, which relieved Sunggyu. He would let Dongwoo deal with whatever is this, except he couldn’t find Dongwoo anywhere in this apartment. He tried to call him, but the rapper had left his phone on the nightstand.

Sunggyu hated not knowing what to do, so he dialed the number he knew by heart. Woohyun was always his best friend, his lover, his other half, and the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with – although he hadn’t had the courage to tell the other even once about the last one.

It only rang once before Woohyun picked up.

“Morning, my lovely Gyu,” the greasy voice answered. There wasn’t any hint of sleepiness on his part, which meant that the younger had left his bed for quite a while ago. Woohyun was always so diligent.

“I’ve got a problem,” Sunggyu said quickly.

“Oh~, you’ve got a morning problem?” Woohyun’s voice changed into low and seductive tone. “You wanted me to take care of that?”

Sunggyu glanced downward. If he indeed got that morning problem, it vanished the moment he saw that child.

“Yes. No. I mean it’s okay if you wanted to. But, that’s not what I mean. I mean, not tha – oh God. I’m talking about a different problem here, Woohyun. I’ve got a child on my bed. I mean Dongwoo’s bed, but I can’t find him anywhere. What do I do with a child?”

There was a beat of silence.

“I’m not sure I follow,” Sunggyu could imagine the frown on Woohyun’s forehead.

“I mean,” Sunggyu started. “I slept at Dongwoo’s place last night – we drank together. I woke up this morning and there was a kid on the bed, who looks like Dongwoo, but Dongwoo isn’t here. What do I do with this kid? Can I leave him and go home?”

“No!” Woohyun exclaimed. “Of course you can’t let a kid alone at home, Gyu Hyung! Just wait until Dongwoo come home. Have you called him?”

“Yes, but he left his phone at home,” Sunggyu said, eyeing Dongwoo’s phone on the nightstand, offended.

It was that moment when the kid rolled himself and fell from the bed. The sound of a body hitting hardwood floor made even Sunggyu winced.

“What was that?” Woohyun asked from the other end of the line.

“The kid just fell – oh shit, Woohyun, he’s awake! He’s awake!” Sunggyu flailed when he saw the kid’s eyes opened, followed by his mouth, and then….

“UWAAAAANGGGGG!” the kid started crying, so loud that Sunggyu had to run out of the room to be able to hear Woohyun.

“Is that the kid crying? Why is his voice fading away? _Did you leave the room_?” Woohyun asked suspiciously.

“I… yes….”

“For God’s sake, why are you leaving a crying kid alone? Go back there to the room and comfort him!” Woohyun yelled. Sunggyu paled.

“How do I do that?”

“Pick him up; caress him, whatever your Mom did to you when you fell!” Sunggyu wasn’t sure now whose voice was louder, the kid or Woohyun.

“But… but what if I make him cry even louder?” he asked Woohyun. Knowing his skill with children, that was what probably will happen.

“I’ll be there soon,” Woohyun sighed resignedly. “Just go back to the kid and comfort him.”

He hung up and Sunggyu could only stare at his phone in disbelief. The wailing from Dongwoo’s room got louder, and Sunggyu started to feel bad, however afraid he was. So, he crept silently to Dongwoo’s room and peeked inside.

The kid was lying on his side on the floor, crying so pitifully, and he looked very much like Dongwoo. Sunggyu was always weak to Dongwoo’s tears, which meant, he was screwed up.

“Umm…” he started, still peeking from the door. The kid didn’t even look like he heard him.

“Excuse me,” he tried louder. The kid screeched.

He got to on his hands and feet and started crawling to the kid. He finally noticed Sunggyu, although that didn’t stop his crying.

“Can I help you?” Sunggyu asked, and then mentally slapped himself. But really, what do you say to a child who fell from his bed? Sunggyu didn’t know!

Maybe the sight of a strange adult in his room made him stop crying, because the kid was now hiccupping instead of wailing. Was that better or not? Sunggyu didn’t know.

“Who are you?” the kid asked. Sunggyu was so relieved that the kid could speak. At least, they could do two way communications.

“I am…” Sunggyu stopped, thinking how he should introduce himself. “I am Dongwoo’s friend,” he finally said.

“You’re my friend?” the kid asked again. He no longer hiccupped but frowned instead.

“Err, no. I’m Dongwoo’s friend, not yours,” Sunggyu clarified.

“But I am Dongwoo,” the kid pointed at himself. Sunggyu resented Dongwoo’s family a little for naming their kids with the same name.

“I mean another Dongwoo. The big Dongwoo. Is he your uncle? Your brother? Oh God, he’s not your father, right?” Sunggyu suddenly paled. Was he really Dongwoo’s son? The resemblance was uncanny! What if Dongwoo was secretly married and got a son?

He shook his head off the absurdity.

“You speak funny,” the kid said. “Where are Eomma and Appa?”

“Errr….” Sunggyu tried to speak again. What was he supposed to say?

The kid looked like he was about to cry again, but thankfully he heard the door open at that time. He almost jumped from joy, his mind was torn between wanting to thank Dongwoo for coming on time and save him or to scold him for leaving him alone with a child.

Turned out, it wasn’t Dongwoo who appeared on the doorway, but Woohyun.

Still, it was better.

“What took you so long?!” Sunggyu stood up and exclaimed. He could kiss Woohyun right now.

“I came here in under ten minutes,” Woohyun gave him a dirty look. “And it was 15 minutes drive from my place to here.”

Woohyun averted his gaze from Sunggyu to the kid on the floor and smiled immediately. Sunggyu was kind of disappointed and felt that it was a teensy bit unfair.

“Look at you, little man. Did you just fell? Where does it hurt?” Woohyun crouched down and helped the kid to sit. The kid complied.

“I hurt my head a little,” he pouted and Woohyun caressed his head, topped with a kiss. What was that? The kid was only pouting and he earned himself a kiss!

“I’ve healed the owie now,” Woohyun smiled. “Why don’t we go to the kitchen? I’ll make you breakfast. What do you want for breakfast, little man?”

“Ice cream!” the kid jumped and Woohyun laughed. “You can’t have ice cream for breakfast. Dongwoo will kill me if he knows. What about scrambled egg? Do you like egg?”

“Why would Dongwoo kill you?” the kid looked confused. “I will be happy if you give me ice cream for breakfast.”

“What?” now it’s Woohyun’s turn to look confused.

“The kid’s name is also Dongwoo,” Sunggyu supplied helpfully before Woohyun could get more confused.

“Oh, really?” Woohyun was still confused anyway. “Is that right, little man? Your name is Dongwoo?”

The kid nodded proudly. “Yes, my name is Jang Dongwoo!”

“And how old are you?” Woohyun continued to ask.

“I’m seven,” he raised his hand, showing eight fingers instead of seven.

“Do you have an uncle or brother named Dongwoo too?”

“No. I’m the only one!” he exclaimed. “I don’t have brother, but I have two sisters.”

Sunggyu and Woohyun exchanged a look.

“What does this mean?” Woohyun asked and Sunggyu shrugged.

“Why are you here, Dongwoo-yah?” Woohyun turned back to the kid.

“This is my house,” Dongwoo said. “I live here.”

“With whom are you living here with?”

Dongwoo looked confused with that question. “I don’t know. I think I live with my Eomma, Appa, and Noona.”

“And where are they?”

“I don’t know,” Dongwoo frowned. “Where are they?” his eyes suddenly got bigger and shaky, he looked like was about to cry again.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. We’ve got you,” Woohyun quickly hugged the child and prompted him to stand up. “Let’s have a breakfast first, and then we’ll sort everything out.”

Woohyun led the kid out of the room and Sunggyu followed. They put the kid on the dining chair and Woohyun started to rummage Dongwoo’s refrigerator, which was a mess, but he managed to find some eggs.

“So, what is this?” Sunggyu asked, approaching Woohyun who was scrambling the eggs.

“I’ve actually got a really bad feeling about this,” Woohyun said, biting his lip.

“What’s in your mind?” Sunggyu was alarmed.

“I think it is Dongwoo Hyung de-aged,” Woohyun said.

“What?!” Sunggyu exclaimed.

“I know it sounds insane,” Woohyun bit his lips. “But, what other explanation is better?”

“Maybe he is Dongwoo’s relative?”

“Relative who? Hyung, we knew he has no nephew or younger brother,” Woohyun said, adding some cheese to the eggs.

“Cousin?” Sunggyu tried his best to reject Woohyun’s theory.

“There is only one test we could do,” Woohyun said solemnly as he transferred the eggs into three separate plates and brought him to the dining table. Dongwoo clapped his hands excitedly when the food was put in front of him.

“Dongwoo-yah, before we start, Hyung wants to ask you something,” Woohyun said seriously. Dongwoo paid attention immediately, eyes huge with curiosity. “Can you tell me the name of your parents and your sisters?”

When Dongwoo mentioned the right name for all four people, all Sunggyu could do was bang his head on the table, making the scrambled egg flying, much to Woohyun’s displeasure and Dongwoo’s squeal.

“What do we do now?” Woohyun asked after hitting him with a spoon.

“Call the other members,” Sunggyu groaned. “We have emergency meeting.”

-

 

They split their task; Sunggyu was going to call Hoya and Sungjong while Woohyun Sungyeol and Myungsoo.

He called Sungjong first, and the boy picked up at the third ring.

“Sungjong, go to Dongwoo’s house _now._ We have emergency,” Sunggyu said when the call finally connected. There was a bit of silence on the other end of the line.

“Who the fuck is this?” The reply was unexpected.

“Language,” Sunggyu corrected automatically, frowning. “This is Sunggyu, of course. Just get your ass over here. Dongwoo is… is… I can’t explain on the phone. Just go here. _Now_.”

“Go where?” Sungjong asked. Sunggyu growled, the maknae was being annoying in the wrong time.

“Dongwoo’s apartment! You know where it is. Pine Peak, Room 804.”

“And how do I go there?”

“For God’s sake, Sungjong. This is not the time to be difficult. You can drive, or take a taxi, or whatever. Just get over here already!”

He hung up before Sungjong could be even more difficult and proceeded to call Hoya. He saw Woohyun still hadn’t connected to either Sungyeol or Myungsoo.

“Hello,” a careful, slightly confused voice greeted him.

“Hoya,” he said.

“Who?” the other voice asked, confused.

“This is Hoya’s phone, right? Lee Howon?” Sunggyu asked back, just as much confused.

“Yes, this is Lee Howon,” the voice answered back.

“Okay, listen Howon. We got an… uh… a situation here, in Dongwoo’s apartment. Can you go here now?”

“I can’t,” Hoya said and Sunggyu tried not to get angry. Why is everyone being difficult today?

“And why can’t you?” he asked.

“I’m not supposed to go out of the house alone. And I’m also not supposed to answer phone from a stranger. I’m already violating rule answering this phone call.”

“Why am I a stranger? I’m Sunggyu! And why aren’t you supposed to go out of the house alone?” Sunggyu complained. “Wait. Why aren’t you supposed to go out of the house alone?”

“Because I’m a kid, of course,” Hoya said, oblivious to the impact of his answer.

“A kid?” Sunggyu repeated. “A kid? Hoya, don’t play with me right now.”

“I’m not playing anything,” Hoya’s voice came annoyed. “And why do keep call me Hoya, Hoya. I think you got a wrong number.”

“Wait, no!” Sunggyu exclaimed. “How old are you?”

“I’m ten,” Hoya said. “I’m hanging up now.”

“Wait!” Sunggyu shouted. “You’re right. Don’t come out of the house alone. Wait for us, we’ll be there and pick you up, okay? Don’t open the door to stranger other than us.”

“And who are you?” Hoya sounded suspicious, although it was a bit too late.

“I’m Sunggyu Hyung. Your leader, remember?” Sunggyu immediately said. “Just wait there and be safe, okay? We’ll be there in ten minutes.”

He hung up the phone, Woohyun was already looking at him. He caught his questioning gaze. “I think Hoya’s de-aged too,” he said in panic. “I told him to wait at his apartment. He’s ten. We should pick him up.”

“Alright,” Woohyun got up from his seat, taking the empty plates to the sink. “What about Sungjong?”

“He sounded fine. I told him to go here, but I’ll text him to come to Hoya’s instead. Sooyeol?”

“None of them pick my call,” Woohyun said. “I’m so grilling them when I can reach them.”

“Right, later after we got Hoya,” Sunggyu said. He snatched his jacket on Dongwoo’s bedroom, and after another thought he picked up another jacket for Dongwoo, despite the size difference.

They drove to Hoya’s apartment in a flash, Sunggyu on the steer and Woohyun beside him. Dongwoo was bouncing happily on the back seat.

“Where are we going?” he asked excitedly.

“To your bloody dongsaeng,” Sunggyu snarled.

“Language!” Woohyun whacked him.

“Why is my dongsaeng bloody?” Dongwoo asked him with such a sad voice that Sunggyu was forced to apologize and said that he was lying.

They arrived at Hoya’s apartment in ten minutes, and immediately opened the door. He was thankful he visited his dongsaengs routinely so they all gave him the pass code to their apartments.

“Hoya!” he called as he went inside. He passed the entrance and into a silent living room. He started opening the door connected to the living room one by one.

“Howon-ah!” he called again.

“In here,” Woohyun’s voice came from the farthest bedroom from the living room. He followed it and they found Hoya hiding inside a cupboard with scared expression.

“Howon-ah,” Woohyun called him with a softer voice, although Hoya still curled himself farther into the cupboard. “It’s okay, we’re not bad guy. I’m your Hyung, don’t you remember?”

“You’re not my Hyung,” the boy hissed.

“Not biological one, yes. But we’ve lived together before,” Woohyun tried to persuade him. “I’m Woohyun Hyung and this is Sunggyu Hyung. And that is Dongwoo, don’t you remember?”

“I don’t,” Hoya said, although he sounded unsure. “I don’t know. Why do you come here? How come you know my password?”

“That’s because we’re your Hyung, I told you. We come here because we heard you’re home alone,” Woohyun continued to persuade the ten year old boy in the cupboard.

“What about my parents?” Hoya asked.

“They know about us,” Sunggyu interjected. “They are currently in Busan and they trusted us to take care of you while you’re in Seoul.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Hoya said, as if he suddenly remembered something. “I came to Seoul. But I don’t remember much after that.”

“It’s okay,” Woohyun said. “You’ll remember later. Why don’t you come out of there first, and then we can talk. Have you eaten?”

Hoya shook his head and finally climbed down from the cupboard. He came only up to Sunggyu’s chest, and it was the weirdest feeling ever.

 So they came to the kitchen together, and the scene on Dongwoo’s dining room repeated. Dongwoo himself was pretty excited with the idea of second breakfast.

“Who is this?” Howon pointed at Dongwoo.

“That’s your other Hyung,” Sunggyu answered, tried to be patient.

“Hyung? He is what, six?” Hoya said distastefully.

“Seven!” Dongwoo interjected.

“Right, I guess you’re the Hyung for now. Whatever,” Sunggyu said. He was already tired as fuck and it was only – he glanced at the clock – 9 o’clock.

“Try to reach Sooyeol rather than pouting there,” Woohyun shouted from the kitchen.

Sunggyu groaned, reached for his phone. Before he even dialed, a call from Sungjong came. He picked it up.

“I’m on the door,” Sungjong said in short, annoyed voice, which annoyed Sunggyu more.

“Then just fucking come inside,” he snarled.

“That’s a bad word,” Dongwoo giggled, as well as Hoya. And oh God, Sunggyu was going crazy. Seriously? De-aging, seriously?

“I don’t know the password, obviously,” Sungjong said.

“How come you don’t know? This is Hoya’s – you know what? Fine, I’ll open the freaking door for you, oh my almighty,” Sunggyu stood up, nearly toppled the chair he was sitting on and went to the door.

Behind the door was Sungjong alright, but in a teenager version.

Sunggyu slammed the door close.

“Hey wait!” Sungjong’s muffled voice carried across the closed door. “Why are you slamming the door on my face when you’re the one who fucking asked me to come!”

“Who is that?” Woohyun appeared from the kitchen, bringing a plate of toasts.

“It’s Sungjong,” Sunggyu said, suddenly out of breath.

“Well then, why don’t you let him come in?” Woohyun raised his eyebrows.

“He is…”

“I SAID OPEN THE DOOR!”

“Sounds violent, yeah. But you still need to let him in,” Woohyun said, pushing him aside and opened the door.

Sungjong was almost flying into the entrance.

“You’re going to explain to me about this rudeness,” he said in all regalia of an early teenager, hands folded on top of his chest.

“Sungjong,” Woohyun interjected. “Hyung is sorry, he’s just surprised. Let’s sit down first and have some toast. The others have been waiting already.”

Woohyun pointed to the kitchen and led Sungjong there.

“Who are the others?”

“The other members, of course. There are Hoya and Dongwoo, we’re still missing Myungsoo and Sungyeol but they’ll join us soon.”

Sunggyu locked the door and followed the two to the dining room. Dongwoo was trying to be friendly to Howon by touching him everywhere, but the older was definitely not happy and tried to put more distance between them.

“Sungjong, how old are you?” Woohyun asked the crucial question once they were all sorted.

“Fourteen,” their maknae answered, eyeing the other occupants in the room.

“Alright,” Woohyun said. “Alright.”

“What’s alright about this?” Sunggyu groaned.

“First, we’ll need to gather information s much as possible,” he looked at Sungjong, “Sungjong-ah, do have any idea about who we are?”

Sungjong looked doubtful for the first time that night.

”I don’t know,” he said. “I felt like I should’ve known you but at the same time I just can’t remember.”

“Do you know whether you’ve done something weird or unusual before today?”

Sungjong shook his head.” No, I don’t think I did something like that.”

“Even if he did, why did it affect Dongwoo too? He was with me all evening before this shit happened,” Sunggyu said. Hoya and Dongwoo started giggling at the word shit and Sunggyu earned himself a dirty look from both Woohyun and Sungjong.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he protested.

Suddenly Woohyun jumped from his seat, clutched his chest, and looked so terribly panicked that Sunggyu thought he got a heart attack.

“Hyung!” he looked wildly at Sunggyu. “Hyung, Myungsoo and Sungyeol!”

“What about them?” Sunggyu asked, confused. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“They didn’t answer the phone. What if they de-aged too and that’s why they didn’t answer our call?” Woohyun looked panicked.

“Even if they are de-aged too, they would have answered the phone. Howon and Sungjong did,” Sunggyu tried to calm his best friend.

“But they de-aged randomly, right? What if they were too young to answer the phone?” Woohyun looked so afraid and Sunggyu wanted to gather him into his embrace and kiss him and assure him that everything is okay, except there were underage kids in the room. Also, he knew that Woohyun could be right.

“Oh my God, please don’t let them be younger than Dongwoo!” Sunggyu prayed as he stood up, putting on his jacket and looking for his car key. “Come on, we’re going to their apartment!”

Woohyun and Sungjong quickly followed him. Dongwoo wriggled adorably in his attempt to get down from the chair, before Woohyun snatched him and they rushed together to Sunggyu’s car.

Thankfully again, they lived close to each other. From Howon’s building, it took less than 15 minutes to reach Myungsoo’s apartment. They ran to the elevator, pressing the right button, and in no time had the front door to Myungsoo’s unit opened.

The apartment was eerily silent.

“They aren’t… already dead, are they?” Woohyun asked fearfully.

Sunggyu crossed the living room in long stride and headed to Myungsoo’s bedroom. The door was open and when he peeked inside, he sighed in relief. Little Myungsoo was adorably asleep, not even waking up from the commotion they made.

“He is so small,” Dongwoo said, he looked enchanted. “How old is he?”

“Eerr,” Sunggyu didn’t deal with kids, and it was hard for him to guess. “Four, I guess? Or three?”

“Can I play with him? What’s his name? Who is this?” Dongwoo didn’t stop asking.

“Yes you can, later when he’s awake. He’s Myungsoo and he is your dongsaeng,” Sunggyu answered Dongwoo patiently before he remembered that they were still short of one member.

“Sungyeollie!” he exclaimed. Sungyeol lived with Myungsoo, but there were no sign of him everywhere in this room. He wasn’t in the next room either.

“Hyung! In here!” Woohyun shouted from the kitchen. Sunggyu followed his voice. Woohyun was really good at finding kids, wasn’t he? Such an ideal life partner material. Wait.

Hoya and Sungjong were on the floor, holding down a fidgeting trash bag. Fidgeting trash bag. Yeah.

“Whatever this creature is, it is fucking strong!” Sungjong said.

“Language!” Sunggyu corrected. “That creature is your Hyung. Or your dongsaeng. You should let him out.”

Woohyun reached to the trash bag opening and pulled out a mini Sungyeol from inside. It should’ve been no more than two hours since he transformed into this state, but he managed to get himself all sticky and dirty. He must be around Myungsoo’s age.

And he must have known that he was in trouble, because the first thing he did was making puppy eyes and said. “Sungyeollie is hungry.”

Sunggyu rolled his eyes while Woohyun cooed (although not picking him up, because seriously the kid was stinky).

“Let’s make our Sungyeollie clean, and then have a breakfast together, okay?” Woohyun asked the other.

“We’ve just had breakfast at my house, remember?” Hoya reminded Woohyun, although from behind Dongwoo excitedly shouted, “Third breakfast! Yay! I love breakfast!”

It seemed like Myungsoo, even if his toddler form, had food radar installed in his head because he chose that time to wake up and wailed, asking for someone to attend to him.

“Oh, no. Myungsoo. Wait, baby! Hyung’s coming now!” Woohyun run to Myungsoo’s bedroom, followed by Dongwoo (Dongwoo followed everything that moves). Sungyeol made an attempt to follow him too, but before he even stood up, Sunggyu quickly stepped on his pajamas so he could only wriggle around and whined. The toddler was all dirty, he couldn’t let him running around the house in this state.

Myungsoo’s wail stopped and a moment later Woohyun appeared on the kitchen again, carrying a tear streaked, sleepy Myungsoo on his arm. Despite everything, he was so adorable that Sunggyu forgot the shrewdness of this situation and internally melted at such sight.

“Hyung,” Woohyun called him back to reality.

“What?” Sunggyu looked at him, startled slightly.

“What now?” Woohyun quietly asked.

Sunggyu looked around them.

A toddler Myungsoo was drooling on Woohyun’s shoulder, while seven years old Dongwoo was tugging Woohyun’s pants, trying to get him to listen to his babbling. A wriggling movement near his feet reminded him that toddler Sungyeol was also around (and covered in trash, by the way). He looked back and ten years old Howon rummaging through the cupboard, while fourteen years old Sungjong was sitting on the chair with defiant and bored expression, chewing some gum Sunggyu didn’t know he even had. He was definitely in the middle of puberty.

_Oh Dear Lord._

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family's rough first day

 

 

 

 

“What now?” Woohyun repeated the question when Sunggyu didn’t answer. Sunggyu wasn’t unfamiliar with feeling helpless; he experienced it quite often actually. There was that time when he left his house, and those numerous failed auditions. Also when Sungyeol almost left Infinite, and when his first solo album didn’t win anything.

But this was the entire kind of helpless.

“Hyung?”

“I don’t know, Woohyun-ah,” he sighed, head down. It was embarrassing that he didn’t know what to do – he was their leader. But he was being honest here. What does one do when one gets five kids to take care of overnight?

He felt warmth enveloping him and when he looked up, he got an armful of Woohyun (and Myungsoo). The younger was using one of his hands to envelope him, while the warmth was coming from Myungsoo, squashed between their bodies.

“Honestly I have no idea too,” Woohyun whispered. “I’m this close to freaking out and I don’t know what to do – how to undo this or how to solve this.”

Somehow, the combination of Woohyun seeking comfort from him and the warmth of Myungsoo’s little body cleared Sunggyu’s mind a little. Right, he was the leader of their group. These kids were still his members. He would find a way to fix this.

Thinking about how he could fix this made him dizzy, however. So, he decided to do it one step of a time. He hugged the younger back, rubbing his back. “We’ll find a way, Woohyun-ah. We’ll find it. But maybe for now we should focus on what we can do first. Maybe we should clean the kids first, fix them breakfast, and talk to them after that?”

He felt Woohyun nodded and they pulled off from each other. Myungsoo whined when they got apart, Sunggyu chuckled because his clinginess apparently was there since he was a baby.

 “Okay, I guess I’ll start making breakfast,” Woohyun sighed. “Meanwhile, can you give Sungyeollie a bath? Oh, and maybe Myungsoo too.”

Whatever comfort and calm Sunggyu got before immediately shatter.

Giving a _bath_? Sunggyu didn’t even know how to hold a baby!

“Errr,” he walked backward, accidentally releasing his step on Sungyeol’s pajamas. Woohyun’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“What? You don’t want to? Do you want me to both give them bath and cook you all breakfast? And what are you going to do while I do all the work?”

“No, not like that!” Sunggyu held both his hands up. “I’ll cook, okay? You bathe the kids. I’m just… are you really expecting me to bathe the kids? What if I drop them in the bathtub and accidentally kill them?”

“But you can’t cook, either!” Woohyun exclaimed. “What are you going to feed us? Burned rice?”

“I can call for delivery,” Sunggyu tried. “Meanwhile I’ll take care of Dongwoo and Hoya. How does that sound?”

Woohyun thought about it for a while. It was a pretty good deal, so he nodded a while later. “Okay.”

 _Is there even any restaurant that delivers this early in the morning?_ Sunggyu snatched some of restaurant flyer on Myungsoo’s refrigerator and found a 24 hours restaurant. He scanned the menu and guessed that noodle soup would be perfect for everybody in this weather. He let Sungjong, Hoya, and Dongwoo chose their own menu.

“Hyung!” Woohyun suddenly called him from the bathroom.

“What?” he shouted back.

“Can you come here for a second?”

Curiously, Sunggyu headed to the bathroom, expecting Woohyun to ask him for towel or something like that. But, Woohyun apparently had not started at all. The two toddlers were still running around, giggling happily on the bathroom floor. Even in their toddler form, these two were going along well.

Woohyun was standing near the filling bathtub, looked a little bit freaked out.

“Since you’re not cooking anyway, can you help me? I think it was more difficult than I thought. What if I drown them accidentally?”

“But what about the other kids?”

“Ask Sungjong to take care of Hoya and Dongwoo,” Woohyun said. “Seriously, Hyung. I never bathe a kid before. Help me!”

Sunggyu would like to refuse, actually, but he couldn’t let Woohyun alone when he was genuinely freaking out like this. Oh, the thing he did for Woohyun.

He nodded and Woohyun beamed. Sungjong gave him an okay gesture when he asked him to watch for the other kids, and then they closed the bathroom door and got ready to face the war.

“You take Sungyeol,” Sunggyu said. “And I’ll take Myungsoo.”

Woohyun nodded. Sungyeol was currently rolling around on the floor while Myungsoo laughed happily at him.

Woohyun approached the five years old, “Okay, Yeollie. Let’s get you out of this dirty pajamas!”

But Sungyeol screamed and stood up, running gleefully straight to Sunggyu.

“Wait! What are you doing? Why are you coming here?” Sunggyu screamed, trying to avoid the toddler. That made Sungyeol even more excited as he chased Sunggyu around the room.

“Catch him, Hyung!” Woohyun instructed. “The water is ready!”

“How?” Sunggyu asked, almost out of breath when he had to jump over the toilet.

“Just grab him and dump him here,” Woohyun pointed to the bathtub. Well, it was easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one being chased by the little monster.

Sunggyu ran again across the room, picking the defenseless Myungsoo up in the process. The four year old was still giggling when Sunggyu transferred him into Woohyun’s ready hand. Woohyun immediately put him into the tub – pajamas and all.

“Shouldn’t we take his clothes off first?” he asked, still avoiding the screaming Sungyeol.

“The important thing is getting them inside first,” Woohyun said, kneeling beside the tub and started stripping off Myungsoo’s clothes. “Can you get Sungyeol inside? Why are you running away from him? You should be the one chasing him!”

“He is scary!” Sunggyu said. At one point Sungyeol even managed to touch his pants and Sunggyu had to scream.

“Hyung, you’re ridiculous. Just get inside the tub!”

“Me? Getting inside the tub?” Sunggyu suddenly felt a little bit excited. “Are you going to bathe me too?”

“Hyung!” Woohyun screamed. “What are you talking about when there are kids around? Just get inside the tub! Hopefully Sungyeol will follow you there.”

Sunggyu pouted although he obliged. He was getting tired of avoiding Sungyeol anyway. He sighed as he put his feet into the tub. This was one of his favorite jeans.

“I caught you!” Sungyeol suddenly jumped into him and Sunggyu fell into the tub, splashing water everywhere. Thank God Myungsoo was in the other side of the tub. He clapped and laughed seeing Sunggyu drenched from head to too.

“Sungyeollie wins!” Sungyeol exclaimed, standing so proudly while holding one of his hands up.

“Sungyeollie wins!” Myungsoo squealed just as excited.

“Yes, Sungyeollie wins,” said Woohyun resignedly. He was drenched from the splashing water earlier too. “Now, the winner should be clean so we can give him the prize! Can you open your pajamas, Sungyeollie?”

“I can!” Sungyeol claimed, although he really couldn’t. Sunggyu ended up taking off his pants while Woohyun the pajama top.

“Alright, now just let me get out of this tub,” Sunggyu got out of the tub. Woohyun handed him a soap. “Rub this on Myungsoo’s body, okay? Don’t forget the back of the ear too.”

Woohyun had already started on Sungyeol’s body and Sunggyu kneeled beside him, taking the soap and applied it to Myungsoo. He was very very tired.

“We’re doing this every day, aren’t we?”

Woohyun scoffed. “Yeah, let’s just hope we only have to do it once a day.”

Sunggyu winced, understanding that it was plausible for them to have to bath the kids twice a day.

“I’ll make sure to hide the trash bag,” Sunggyu said.

Myungsoo suddenly cried and it startled both of them until Sunggyu almost tripped into the tub himself.

“Why why why? What happened? Myungsoo, why?” he quickly scanned the little boy for any injury or something.

“I think the soap got in his eyes,” Woohyun panicked. “What should we do?”

“Wash it with water?” Sunggyu reached for the tap and turned it on, trying to use it to clean Myungsoo’s face. But, it only made Myungsoo cry harder. Sungyeol shrieked in horror as he saw the water coming out from the tap.

“You shouldn’t point it to his face!” Woohyun snatched the tap. Instead, he washed Myungsoo’s face with his hand with a little water.

“I told you I might accidentally kill them,” Sunggyu grumbled. “I’m sorry, Myungsoo-yah. Hyung made mistake, okay? Don’t cry,” he caressed the little boy’s head.

“No, you did great for a first timer,” Woohyun said, voice softened.

“You did even better, and you’re a first timer too,” Sunggyu smiled at Woohyun. Woohyun laughed, the corner of his eyes crinkled and it made Sunggyu kind of want to look at it forever.

“I think we could be a great parents later,” Woohyun said. Sunggyu couldn’t stop smiling. Imagining him and Woohyun as a new parents… well, he didn’t even need to imagine. He was living it right now. Despite the weirdness of the situation, the part where he and Woohyun did parenting things together felt so natural instead.

“We could be,” he said finally.

In the tub, Myungsoo stopped crying and Sungyeol started to clap, as if they agreed too.

-

Sungjong stopped chewing his chips when Woohyun and him emerged from the bathroom, carrying towel wrapped toddlers.

“I thought you were giving the kids bath, not the other way around,” he commented as he saw their drenched state.

“You don’t know how hard it is to bathe a kid, do you?” Sunggyu gritted his teeth.

“I know,” Sungjong said. “I have two dongsaeng, remember?”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Sunggyu whined. “You can bath these two devils instead!”

“I figured you need to practice,” Sungjong observed him head to toe, and then ignored him in order to pay attention to Dongwoo playing with Sungyeol’s figurine.

Sunggyu almost retorted but Myungsoo was shivering in his arms. He quickly followed Woohyun to the room. The younger was already finished drying Sungyeol and looked at him with panicked expression (how many times had he panicked already today?).

“We don’t have any baby clothes here,” he said. “And the only one Sungyeol had is dirty.”

Sunggyu stopped on his track, because that was true. “Should we buy it?”

“We should, but how? Ordering online would take time while we definitely can’t buy baby product together! Imagine if the fans caught us!”

Sunggyu cursed and Woohyun whacked him with a pillow.

“You really should try to stop cursing when there are babies around,” he gave him dirty look.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry,” Sunggyu apologized half heartedly, glaring at the two toddlers because it was their fault that he couldn’t curse again. The two gave an innocent look that according to Sunggyu only looked challenging instead.

“Hey, should I call Jungryul Hyung? He had a son, remember? Maybe we could borrow some of his son’s old clothes for these two?” Sunggyu suddenly got an idea.

“That could work,” Woohyun said, readily agreeing. “And his house’s not far from here either. Can you go there fast? We can’t let them naked like this for too long.”

“Just wrap them with blanket or something,” Sunggyu said. He needed change himself.

“Don’t go anywhere, okay? Just take the clothes and quickly come back. I don’t know how long I can survive with six children in the same house,” Woohyun squeezed Sunggyu’s hand. Sunggyu reassured Woohyun that he would not leave him alone – although honestly he was kind of want to book the earliest flight to Japan and return only after everything get back to normal.

How do they even get back to normal anyway?

Jungryul Hyung did inquire why suddenly Sunggyu was in a need of baby clothes. A little white lie of a high school friend asking for help was enough, and suddenly he was bringing home a whole back seat of toddler things – Sunggyu didn’t even know what were them and what were their function.

He opened the apartment door and was promptly presented with a view of two naked toddlers running around.

“Woohyun-ah, the kids are running around naked!” he shouted in horror. “Why didn’t you put them in a blanket?”

“You think I didn’t try?” Woohyun shouted back. “Just come here and brought me the damn clothes!”

He stepped into the living room and saw a panting, out of breath Woohyun. His hair tossed wildly, his sleeves rolled up as if he was in the middle of wild goose chase.

Dongwoo ran along with the two devils, Hoya took photos of them while laughing madly, while Sungjong looked at the situation distastefully, earphones jammed in his ears.

“Here are the clothes,” he put the bag on the floor near Woohyun’s foot.

“Good job,” Woohyun praised, collapsing on the couch. “Now, catch them.”

“This will not work,” Sunggyu paled. “I’m not chasing them or getting chased by them again.”

He ran to the kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator, and finally found what he was looking for.

“Myungsoo-ya!” he called. Myungsoo was currently crawling between the back of the sofa and the wall, and Sunggyu hoped that Myungsoo – the grown up one – cleaned that space regularly. The toddler, meanwhile, adorably peeked from behind the sofa.

“Yeees?” he asked.

“Look at what I’ve got,” Sunggyu shook the object in his hand tauntingly.

That made Myungsoo jumped in excitement and ran toward him.

“Candy!” he squealed, hands trying to reach the said candy.

“Wait, I’ll give it to you only after you’ve put on some clothes,” Sunggyu tactfully said. He couldn’t believe he was negotiating with a four year old. Myungsoo happily accepted his offer as he plopped down on the floor right there and not moving.

“Candy?” he said, giving Sunggyu his sweetest smile and Sunggyu almost gave the candy immediately. Thankfully, he caught himself fast.

“Clothes first,” he said.

The bell rang and he immediately snapped his head. No, they couldn’t accept any guest here today! He looked around for Woohyun in panic. Woohyun shakily got up from his position and checked the intercom.

“Oh, it was just the delivery man,” he said in relief. “I’ll go get him.”

Sunggyu nodded. Thankfully there wasn’t any more incident when he put on the clothes on Myungsoo. It was an adorable pair of long sleeved t-shirt and pants. Now, there was one less naked kid in this dorm.

“Sungyeol-ah!” he let Myungsoo go as his eyes rummaged through the room. The kid wasn’t anywhere in sight. He wasn’t in the trash bag again, was he?

“Sungyeol-ah, Hyung got candy for you!” he announced to the room. There wasn’t any answer. God. Sunggyu needed to prepare himself for this. He leaned back to the bookshelf behind him, closed his eyes, and counted one, two, three, four…

“Sungyeollie doesn’t want candy,” the words were whispered right next to his left ear and Sunggyu, startled beyond belief, shrieked and scrambled away from the bookshelf.

Sungyeol was folding himself neatly in one of the empty part of the bookshelf.

“Hyung? What happened?” Woohyun’s concerned voice carried from the entrance.

“Sungyeollie just got him!” Hoya shouted in glee, answering for him. Sunggyu himself was currently still busy regulating his breath.

“Sungyeol, you shouldn’t climb up there! It’s dangerous!” Sungjong finally took off his earphones and brought the little devil down from the shelf.

“Sungyeollie is careful,” the little boy pouted.

“It’s still dangerous,” Sungjong tooted the pouting kid. “Now, go to Sunggyu Hyung and get your candy.”

“But Sungyeol doesn’t want candy,” he whined. “Sungyeol likes chocolate.”

“Fine, fine,” Sunggyu said, finally found his voice. “Hyung will buy you chocolate. Can you just wear this for Hyung first?”

Sungyeol thought for a minute and finally nodded. “Okay. But Yeollie want a big chocolate.”

“Dongwoo wants chocolate and candy too!” Dongwoo suddenly appeared out of nowhere and planted himself on Sunggyu’s back.

“You don’t get any,” Sunggyu said in horror as he pulled Sungyeol’s little arm through his little t-shirt sleeve. Dongwoo was already this active without any more sugar, he didn’t even want to imagine how would he be with both candy and chocolate.

“Buuuuut,” Dongwoo whined. “Sungyeollie and Myungsoo get them. Why can’t Dongwoo get them too?”

“You’re a big boy already, Dongwoo,” Sunggyu tried to persuade him. Dongwoo didn’t answer, seemed lost in thinking for a moment. Sunggyu thought he was finally distracted and continued putting the pants on Sungyeol.

Suddenly Dongwoo got off on his back and stood in front of him. Sunggyu looked at him questioningly.

Then, he took off his clothes.

“Dongwoo-ya!” Sunggyu screamed. “What are you doing?”

“Dongwoo’s taking off his clothes!” Dongwoo said proudly. “If you want me to put them back on, give me candy _and_ chocolate!”

Sungyeol laughed and clapped. Myungsoo too. Hoya laughed and praised Dongwoo for being clever. Sungjong smirked and put his earphones back.

Sunggyu wanted to curl up and cry.

-

 

Sungjong and Hoya were summoned to help Woohyun prepared their breakfast later. Because they had no highchair for Myungsoo and Sungyeol, Woohyun thought they should eat on the coffee table in the living room.

“We really need to shop for baby things,” he said in distress as he brought two glass bowl of noodle soup. “They can’t eat with this metal chopstick, can they?”

“Oh, maybe there are some useful things on the car,” Sunggyu perked up. “Jungryul Hyung ended up giving us a whole lot of baby things. I left them in the car.”

He was sent to the basement to retrieve those things. He brought along Sungjong and Hoya for help.

When they were back upstairs, a whole bowl of noodle soup was upturned on the floor, near a drenched Woohyun and two crying toddler. Dongwoo was sitting there silently, although one of his hands sneaked around to take one meatball lying near the sofa and then popped it on his mouth.

“With what logic…” Woohyun started growling. “With what logic did you order this kind of hot and messy food for our breakfast?!”

He looked outright murderous that Sunggyu shrieked in horror, jumping backward.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t think much! I’m sorry! Don’t hurt me!” he shouted, hiding behind Sungjong and Howon. Woohyun gave him a finger before snatching the two crying toddler to the bathroom.

“Are you always this pathetic?” Sungjong asked him, eyes full of pity.

That day, Sunggyu also learned that apparently Hoya had started making his trademark of bitchy/unimpressed/disgusted expression since he was ten years old. No wonder he had nailed it seventeen years later.

-

They finally got to rest a little after mid day. Sungyeol and Myungsoo was a little bit tired from the whole fiasco in the morning and collapsed on the carpet after eating a half bowl of the noodle soup. Dongwoo was a bit trickier, his energy was recharged after the lunch and he went a little bit crazy with Sungyeol’s figurine collection (he even almost reached for Myungsoo’s camera, although thankfully Sunggyu snatched it before he could and locked it in a cupboard).

Sunggyu was this close to give the kid a sleeping pill (Woohyun hit him _hard_ when he heard him), but fortunately Dongwoo hit his head on the dining table. It didn’t knock him off or something like that, of course. It just made him cry and gave an opening for Woohyun to lay him on the bed and made him asleep.

That was twenty minutes ago.

“I think he fell asleep,” Sungjong frowned. “Should we wake him?”

“No,” Sunggyu said quickly. “He must be very tired. We can talk without him.”

The three of them – Sunggyu, Sungjong, and Hoya – were in the dining room. They were supposed to “talk” about this situation, along with Woohyun. Sunggyu actually asked Howon to nap too, but he refused and gave him a challenging look, so he let him sit on the dining table together.

“He might get upset later,” Sungjong looked at him questioningly.

“He won’t,” Sunggyu reassured him. “I’ll tell him everything we talk about. So, maybe we should start from you, Sungjong-ah. What do you remember before everything happened?”

Sungjong thought about if for some time. “I don’t really know myself. When I woke up, I just feel confused. I feel like I’m not supposed to be a fourteen year old boy, although I don’t remember myself being other than a fourteen year old boy either.

“I don’t remember about the house I’m living in, but I know that I’ve been living there alone for a little while. It doesn’t make sense but that’s what I feel anyway. When you call me, I feel like I should listen to you,” he looked at Sunggyu, as if asking whether the older understand.

Sunggyu nodded, encouraged him to continue.”

“This is absurd,” Sungjong shook his head. “I don’t remember any of it but I know it is true. I don’t know why it feels true.”

“That’s because – er – all of you aren’t supposed to be like this. All of us are adult – including you and Howon. And Dongwoo and Sungyeol and Myungsoo, too. You are kind of… de-aged… overnight. Thought how or why, I don’t know myself. We’re bandmates in a group called Infinite. You remember Infinite?”

“You mean I’m not a ten years old?” Howon spoke for the first time, eyes huge and disbelieving.

“No, Howon-ah,” Sunggyu sighed sadly. “You are originally 27.”

The ten years old looked like he was in the middle of a denial. Sunggyu put his arm around the younger’s shoulder, trying to comfort him.

“Can you tell me how did you feel this morning, Howon-ah?”

“I was confused… I don’t know. Like Sungjong Hyung said, I feel like I shouldn’t be like this but I can’t remember being any other than this. This is like… like…” he bit his lower lip, couldn’t continue.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Hyung?” Sungjong suddenly interrupted. “We’re bandmates? We are a member of boyband? Did you lose your mind?”

“No,” Sunggyu said, a little helplessly. Now he regretted not waking Woohyun up.

That time Howon suddenly stood up from his seat and slammed the table with his small fit. “You are a liar!” he shouted.

“Howon-ah,” Sunggyu called, startled.

“I’m a ten years old. I’m not a 27 years old ahjussi!”

“27 years old is hardly an ahjussi,” Sunggyu countered Howon’s argument, being a 29 years old himself.

“You’re a big fat liar. You’re dangerous and I hate you!” he stomped his foot and run to one of the empty bedroom, slamming the door hard.

“He’s right!” Sungjong shouted. “You’re a fucking liar!”

 “What happened?” Woohyun appared in the doorway to Dongwoo’s room, alarmed.

“This man just said that I am a 25 years old and I’m a band member,” Sungjong pointed at Sunggyu, his finger shook. “That’s not true, is it?”

Woohyun shifted his gaze, and when he spoke guilt was evident in his voice. “Sungjong-ah….”

“Are you saying it is the truth?!” the teenager demanded. When Woohyun didn’t answer, it was confirmed for Sungjong.

“I’m done with you all,” he said. Next he got off his chair and left the room as well, just like Hoya. But, it was worse because the door he slammed to close was the front door.

“Sungjong-ah, wait!” Sunggyu chased the younger immediately, followed by Woohyun. The ex-maknae didn’t stop, not even look back. Thankfully, he was forced to stop anyway to wait for the elevator, and Sunggyu immediately stood up next to him.

“Where are you going?” he asked the younger.

“Home,” he answered. Sunggyu didn’t know if he meant his apartment or his parent’s house. He urged his brain to think of something. What did one do when one of their kids was running away from home? Wait, Sunggyu had done this before – running away – and he knew exactly what he needs.

“Do you have money?”

“Do I – what?” Sungjong was surprised.

“What?” that was Woohyun, sounded as surprised as Sungjong.

“I said, do you have money? To take taxi,” Sunggyu said.

“If I don’t, what will you do?” Sungjong challenged him. Sunggyu reached out for his wallet.

“Hyung, what are you doing?” Woohyun asked, holding his hand in place.

“Use this,” Sunggyu gently pried Woohyun’s grab and pulled out his card, offering it to the teenager.

Sungjong eyed him, searching for a trap behind this kind gesture. “What do you want?” he finally asked Sunggyu when he couldn’t decide.

“I just want you to promise to take my call later,” Sunggyu said.

“Hyung, no!” Woohyun shouted before reaching for Sungjong’s arms. “Sungjong, you are fourteen! You can’t go alone!”

But the elevator arrived that time, and Sungjong also pried his hands from Woohyun’s grab. He took the card before entering the elevator, looking straight at them with unreadable expression. This time, it was Sunggyu that had to grab Woohyun’s hand to prevent him entering the elevator.

“Woohyun, calm down. Sungjong can take care of himself,” Sunggyu said.

“Hyung, he is _fourteen_!” Woohyun looked at him with disbelief.

“He is fourteen, yes, that’s why I know he will be careful. Right, Jongie?”

Sungjong nodded and the elevator closed, leaving the two of them in the hallway. Woohyun turned on his heels and exploded.

“Hyung, you are so irresponsible!” he shrieked.

“Calm down, Woohyun. I gave him money and he promised to take our call. He is a teenager right now and he just received shocking news about himself. He needs to sort out his feeling!” Sunggyu tried to explain his action.

“And whose fault is that? How did you tell them about our situation that they freaked out like that?” Woohyun demanded.

“I’m sorry. I just did. I should’ve woken you up and we should have that conversation together. But, Woohyun, it already happened anyway, there’s nothing we can do except trying to talk to the two again. But, they need a space to think before responding to the news. There’s nothing we can do except trusting Sungjong,” Sunggyu said.

“But what if anything happen to him?” Woohyun questioned him.

“He will call us. Believe me, Woohyun.”

“If anything ever happens to him…”

“It won’t,” Sunggyu assured him.

-

 

 

Sunggyu had to let Woohyun punch his chest several times and call him names before he calmed down. They went back to their apartment and realized that Howon was still inside his room.

“Let me handle him,” Woohyun said.

“But,” Sunggyu protested. “It was my fault. I should’ve been the one to sort this out.”

“No, Hyung. No offense, but I feel anxious after seeing you handling Sungjong. I’ll comfort him, don’t worry,” with that Woohyun left him and approached Howon’s room. Sunggyu could hear him knocking the door softly and asking for permission to enter.

It was good that Woohyun took over. If it was Sunggyu, he would not bother knocking and would just barge into his room.

A slight whimper from the room beside him made him curse. Right, Sungyeol was such a light sleeper, he probably had woken up from the commotion.

He immediately opened the door. Sungyeol was sitting on the bed already, mere seconds from crying.

And Sunggyu just couldn’t deal with crying right now, so he immediately picked the toddler and rocked him softly. It was weird, but the weight and the warmth on his arms grounded him. Sungyeol’s tiny arms reached around for his neck. He could even feel his tiny puff of breath on it.

Sunggyu paced slowly around the room, waiting for Sungyeol to fell asleep again. It didn’t take long before the toddler’s hands stopped clenching and Sunggyu carefully put him back on the bed.

Woohyun had thoughtfully arranged the pillows on the edge of the bed, so they won’t roll themselves off the bed. Sunggyu took the pillow near Sungyeol’s side and put it away, instead laying himself down on the bed next to the sleeping babies.

He didn’t realize that he was this tired, and in mere seconds, he was asleep.

-

 

 

Sunggyu woke up, not sure what it was that woke him up in the first place.

The clock showed that it was 3 pm. Sungyeol and Myungsoo were still peacefully napping and Sunggyu got off of the room carefully as not to wake them up.

He heard people talking in the kitchen and he went there. Woohyun was busy cutting something on the kitchen counter. Dongwoo, already awake, either helping him or disturbing him, Sunggyu wasn’t sure.

He stopped on his track when he noticed Howon sitting on the table, making a dough ball.

“Hyung, you’re awake,” Woohyun greeted him when he noticed Sunggyu’s presence.

“Why didn’t you wake me up,” he said to the younger. “I could’ve helped.”

“You look like you could do with some rest,” Woohyun said. “Also, I’ve got Dongwoo and Howon helped me, so everything’s fine,” he ruffled both of the kids’ hair. Dongwoo looked happy while Howon annoyed, although Sunggyu could tell that he only pretended to be annoyed. It seemed like Woohyun already won his heart this afternoon.

“Oh, by the way, I believe Howon has something he wants to say to you,” Woohyun’s hand shifted to Howon’s shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze, while his eyes caught Sunggyu’s with a meaningful look.

Howon made a distressed sound and he shaped the dough ball in his hand with slightly more power than necessary.

When it was clear that Howon was either ignoring him or couldn’t get his words out of his mouth, Woohyun sent him a different look and said, “And… I believe Sunggyu Hyung has something to say to Howon, too.”

Sunggyu was startled. This was the first time he heard about this.

“I have?” he asked incredulously

“You have,” Woohyun said, gritting his teeth. _Play along!_ He mouthed to Sunggyu.

 _What?_ Sunggyu mouthed back.

 _Say sorry_. Woohyun said.

_Why?_

_Just do it!_ Woohyun made a threatening gesture behind Howon’s back.

“Err, yeah. I’m sorry, Howon,” Sunggyu said awkwardly.

_I should’ve thought about your feeling more._

“I should’ve thought about your feeling more,” he parroted what Woohyun had mouthed to him.

 _Now repeat that, with more sincerity_.

“Err, I’m sorry, really,” Sunggyu said, finally sat in front of the angry kid. He still didn’t show any reaction except violently assaulting the innocent dough ball.

At that time, Dongwoo accidentally pulled a bag of flour down the floor, which promptly made Woohyun leave the two of them alone.

If it was awkward even when Woohyun was around, now it was _painfully_ awkward.

But one of them had to say something first, and it suddenly dawned on Sunggyu that he was the adult here. For once, he finally decided to be the bigger person (which he should be) and apologized again.

“I’m sorry, Howon-ah,” he said, then reached for some dough himself and start making a ball.

Howon, unexpectedly, stopped assaulting his poor dough and looked at Sunggyu.

“Will you forgive me?” he continued, sensing a good reaction from the younger kid.

Woohyun was still gently telling Dongwoo to be careful on the other side of the room, and Howon said it in such a small voice Sunggyu almost didn’t catch it.

“I’m sorry too.”

Sunggyu let out a relieved breath he didn’t realized he’d been holding.

“Woohyun Hyung told me that you were just trying to tell me the truth, even if it is awful. He is right. I should thank you for trusting me enough to tell me the truth,” Howon said, voice volume more normal this time. “I’m sorry I shouted at you earlier.”

“Woohyun also told me that I should’ve told you in a nicer, less shocking way,” Sunggyu chuckled. “I should’ve listened to him. You must’ve been very confused earlier.”

“It’s okay,” Howon said. “But you really should’ve listened to Woohyun Hyung next time.”

Sunggyu could feel the fondness in Howon’s voice toward Woohyun. Wow, Woohyun really had a way with kids, hadn’t he?

“Are you two okay, now?” Woohyun approached them, bringing a new batch of dough to the table. The mess on the floor was already swept away.

“We are,” Sunggyu said and Howon nodded.

“That’s good,” Woohyun ruffled Howon’s hair again. “You’re a good boy, Howon-ah!”

Howon blushed.

Oh, oh, Sunggyu narrowed his eyes.

“I wonder how Sungjong is doing,” Woohyun said, voice concerned.

“Ah, let me check,” Sunggyu suddenly remembered something. He took his phone from his pocket. There was a reason he gave Sungjong a card today. That way he could get a transaction notification.

“He’s just drinking some bubble tea in the mall next building,” Sunggyu checked the text from his card issuer. It was only one hour ago, so the kid was probably still even there.

“So that’s why you gave me a card,” a voice dryly greeted them. Without any of them noticing, the teenager entered the apartment and went straight to the kitchen.

“Sungjongie!” Woohyun rushed to the teenager and pulled him into a hug. “We don’t hear you coming. Are you okay? Where did you go?”

“I’m just cooling my head,” the kid said, returning Woohyun’s hug. “I’m sorry I yelled at you before. I guess I was just too shocked with the information. However, once I stepped out I think about everything that had happened since morning and I think… well… the only way to explain this morning is what Sunggyu Hyung said about us. I’m sorry again.”

“Ah, it’s fine,” Sunggyu said, feeling weirdly defeated because a fourteen years old just admitted that he was wrong first on a mistake that both of them were at fault.

“Alright!” Woohyun clapped his hands, looked happy with this progress in their overall relationship. “Should we make dinner together to celebrate this?”

“What is there to celebrate?” Sunggyu asked dryly.

“Does this mean more dinner?!” Dongwoo screamed, excited.

“Dongwoo-ya, sssh! The babies are sleeping,” Sunggyu told the seven year old. “Hyung wants to savor a little bit more of peace.”

“You should wake them up, actually,” Sungjong told him. “If not, they’ll get fussy when it’s time to sleep tonight.”

Sunggyu gave him a dirty look for suggesting him to disturb the peace, but Woohyun sent him to go get the babies so he had no choice.

-

 

When Sunggyu arrived at the kitchen holding both of the toddler’s hand, he found Woohyun had laid out a large plastic sheet on the floor.

“Good afternoon, Sungyeol-ah, Myungsoo-ya,” he crouched down on the toddler’s eye level.

“Atenoon,” said Sungyeol, rubbing his eyes. “Sungyeollie hungry.”

“Myungsoo hungry too,” added the youngest, rubbing his stomach.

“Dinner is in the making, sweetheart. Why don’t you help us making it?”

That woke the two of them right away.

“We help make dinner?” Sungyeol asked with huge round eyes.

“Yes, doesn’t that sound fun?” Woohyun said, leading them to the plastic sheet. “Hyung, you play with them while the rest of the kids and I prepare for dinner, okay?”

“Why can’t I be on the dinner making team?” he asked, pouting. Howon gave him a tongue, that cheeky brat.

“Each team must have an adult supervising,” Woohyun wiggled his finger.

“And what’s with this plastic?”

“Here,” Woohyun put a big plastic bowl on the plastic sheet. Sungyeol and Myungsoo immediately looked into it.

“What is it?”

“It’s tofu,” Woohyun said proudly. “I saw this in a video. Kids are supposed to get familiar with food with different textures. You can play with the kids using this while I’m cooking.”

When Woohyun even did his research, Sunggyu wouldn’t know. What he knew was Woohyun was awesome, and he was his boyfriend.

The only downside to that was that _he_ had to bathe the two toddlers again that evening. And Woohyun couldn’t even help him because he had to watch his cooking. But at least, this time, he only needed to change his t-shirt and not his entire clothes when they finished.

-

 

The dinner went well because everybody was starving after earlier emotional outburst. Well, there was that one fact where Sungyeol dipped his hand into a bowl of soy sauce and then wiped it on Sunggyu’s t-shirt sleeve, but otherwise everything went well.

“I want a room for myself,” Sungjong said after dinner.

Sunggyu and Woohyun exchanged a look. They hadn’t thought about their sleeping arrangement yet.

“I want one too,” Howon added.

“Now, wait a minute,” Sunggyu said. “There are two bedrooms in this house and seven people. I hope you understand that a single room is impossible.”

“Aren’t you and Woohyun Hyung sharing a room?” Howon asked.

“Yes, but then we still have Dongwoo, Sungyeol, and Myungsoo,” Woohyun pointed out. Howon’s expression softened hearing Woohyun spoke.

“I don’t think that’s a problem,” Sungjong said. “Sungyeol and Myungsoo are still babies. You two should sleep with them. Dongwoo can share a room with Howon. Meanwhile, I’ll take the walk in closet as my bedroom. I found a mattress there earlier.”

“Hey,” Howon started. “That’s not fair! Why do you get the closet?”

“And Sungyeol and Myungsoo are five, not one. We don’t need to sleep by their side anymore,” Sunggyu said.

Woohyun was lost in thought. “I guess that made sense,” he said.

“What made sense?”

“Both of us can sleep with Sungyeol and Myungsoo, Hyung,” Woohyun said. “We can sleep in the main bedroom, Myungsoo has big bed. And I guess Howon and Dongwoo can share a room. Sungjong can get his closet.”

“Why do I have to share a room?” Howon whined. Woohyun put a hand around his shoulder, trying to mollify him.

“I’m so sorry, Howon-ah. But there are seven of us and only three rooms. Dongwoo is a sweet child and you like him, too. Can you understand us?”

“But why Sungjong Hyung gets one room and I don’t?”

“I’m older,” Sungjong said, already standing up as if everything was already final. “I need my space. To sort out my problem, because I’m a grown up.”

“I need my space too!” Howon yelled.

“I’m so sorry, Howon. Will you share a room with Dongwoo?” Woohyun coaxed him again. Howon was about to yell again, but then he realized it was Woohyun talking and he stopped making a fuss.

Damn, was Howon always like this with Woohyun or it was just his kid self?

“Good,” Sungjong said, walking off the room.

“Wait!” Sunggyu called him.

“What?”

“If you’re getting the single room, you should wash the dishes,” Sunggyu pointed at the dining table.

“What? What kind of rule is that?” Sungjong folded his hands on his chest.

“The rule of living together,” Sunggyu said.

Sungjong huffed but he did it anyway, and Howon looked a little bit less discontented, so Sunggyu felt it was right to play dictator a bit.

-

 

Sungjong locked himself inside his room immediately while the rest of them watched the TV together. Woohyun found a re-run of Ice Age in one of the channel.

When the film was finished, Woohyun supervised Dongwoo change into pajamas before going to the bathroom himself.

Sunggyu scooped Myungsoo into his arms. Ever since he found out how calming it had felt when he held Sungyeol earlier, he wanted to do it again. Myungsoo laid his head on Sunggyu’s shoulder as he rocked him slowly. He fell asleep soon and Sunggyu put him into the bed. He repeated the same thing to Sungyeol.

Woohyun came into their room right when he was just putting Sungyeol next to Myungsoo. He signaled to the younger to keep his voice down. Woohyun nodded and pointed to the living room instead.

It was much quieter now that the loudest kids had been put to sleep. Sunggyu threw himself to the sofa and stretched his body, groaning.

“God that was _brutal_ ,” he whined.

“It was harder than any of our comeback,” Woohyun agreed and put himself next to Sunggyu. Sunggyu immediately reached for him and Woohyun complied.

“We did it today, right?” Woohyun asked, voice softened.

“We did,” Sunggyu pulled him into his lap and kissed his forehead. “A day with them and nobody gets killed, or hurt. We did it.”

“When do you think they will come back?” Woohyun straightened himself to land a peck on Sunggyu’s lips.

“Hopefully tomorrow,” Sunggyu said. “Maybe tomorrow.”

“You did a really good job today,” Woohyun said. “I’ve always known that you’re a great leader for all of us. But I never considered you to be this good at being a dad.”

Sunggyu blushed because that sounded like a serious compliment.

“I’ve got nothing on you,” he said honestly. “You’re the one who knows what to do with the babies. And look at how Howon’s doing everything you asked him. You, Woohyun, are a natural dad.”

“Said you, the one who got Sungjong to do everything you ask despite him being in rebellious age.”

“Well, now that you’ve said that… I think I’m pretty awesome myself,” Sunggyu grinned and Woohyun pinched his nose as a punishment for being not humble.

“Thanks for today,” Woohyun said and gave him another kiss.

“Shouldn’t I get reward for this?” Sunggyu wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“There are kids around,” Woohyun answered although his tone didn’t sound like it was giving objection.

“In the bathroom?”

“Let’s go,” Woohyun laughed. Sunggyu thought he was tired, but he found himself still able to carry Woohyun to the bathroom anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family is going shopping - of course not without trouble!

 

 

 

 

He was woken up by something that was as heavy as a bag of brick thrown on top of his chest.

Upon closer inspection, it was Sungyeol deciding that Sunggyu’s chest would make a good landing point. The toddler was giggling happily and being generally too noisy for this early in the morning.

 “Wake up!” the kid stood up on the bed, once again getting ready to crash on top of Sunggyu. He caught him in time and quickly rolled their position, trapping the toddler under his stomach. Sungyeol shrieked in laughter, happy that Sunggyu was playing along. Myungsoo was still asleep, not showing even the remotest sign of hearing their commotion.

“Let me go!” Sungyeol shrieked, still laughing.

He peeked at the clock on the wall. It was only seven. He could hear the shower running in the adjacent bathroom, he figured that’s where Woohyun was.

“Sungyeollie wants to pee!” Sungyeol told him, struggling out of his trap.

“Go to the bathroom and ask Woohyunie Hyung to help you,” Sunggyu released his hold, watching Sungyeol carefully got off the bed and opened the bathroom door.

There, finally a moment of silence. He peeked outside through a slight opening in the curtain. A night had passed and new day had come. But that was it, the kids apparently were still de-aged.

He buried his head under a pillow, wanting to deny the reality a little bit longer.

Myungsoo was snoring very softly beside him, his little body radiating warmth. Despite everything, Sunggyu found himself getting drawn to the sleeping toddler.

He pulled out his head and observed the little kid instead. Even when he was 25, Myungsoo still had that hint of innocence in him. But like this, he was simply the purest creature on this earth, even with a drying drool on the edge of his mouth.

Sunggyu kissed his cheek as the bathroom door opened, revealing a fully (and unfortunately) clothed Woohyun with Sungyeol in his arms.

“Morning,” he flashed Sunggyu a perfect smile and Sunggyu found the corner of his lips raised.

“Morning,” he answered. Woohyun put Sungyeol on the floor, and the five year old immediately ran out of the room, singing some children song on top of his lungs. Woohyun had washed his face and even changed his clothes.

“So, nothing changes, eh?” Woohyun went to the bedside table, rummaging through Myungsoo’s cosmetic drawer to find something.

“Yeah, but at least we’ve survived yesterday,” Sunggyu hugged a pillow and observed his lover applying some lotion and cream. Woohyun was always so serious with skin care.

This was so unbelievably domestic that Sunggyu felt a rush of contentedness warming his heart.

“What do we do today?” he asked the younger lazily, hand absently patting Myungsoo’s leg.

“We need to find information about de-aging as much as possible,” Woohyun finished his routine. “But first I’ll make breakfast. Meanwhile, why don’t you take Sungyeol outside? I think a little sunshine will be good for children. Bring the other kids too, if they want to join you.”

“Outside? What if someone sees us?” Sunggyu frowned. He didn’t really want that.

“It’s still early. And it’s getting colder so there will be fewer people outside. You can also dress yourselves heavy without being suspicious,” Woohyun stood up in front of Sunggyu.

“But it’s cold,” Sunggyu pouted. Woohyun laughed and pecked him on the lips.

“If you move your body, you’ll get warm. And I want you to drain Sungyeol’s energy as much as possible,” Woohyun said.

“Fine, but kiss me one more time,” he gave in rather easily, wanting to do everything Woohyun wished him.

“Later, Mister Hamster, after you brush your teeth,” Woohyun cheekily said as he peck him one more time.

-

 

 

Dongwoo was still asleep and Sunggyu had no heart to wake him up. Sungjong was awake, reading Myungsoo’s manga, and outright refused to join him.

Howon, on the other hand, looked reluctant at first but Sunggyu was surprised when the ten years old reached for a jacket and followed him.

So, the three of them headed out for morning walk. Woohyun had put a thick jacket and wool hat on each of the kid and they were so adorable Sunggyu had to take his phone and snapped some photos of Sungyeol (Howon refused to be photographed).

Thank God Myungsoo chose a high end apartment as his place, this way the residents were most likely busy business tycoon who had no idea who they were. Plus, the apartment had a large park with jogging track and play ground. Woohyun was right, it was quiet outside. Sungyeol shrieked in joy when he saw the swings, slides, and monkey bars in the park.

“Careful!” Sunggyu shouted when Sungyeol ran to one of the slides.

Sunggyu sat himself on one of the bench near the slide Sungyeol was climbing. Howon followed him.

“You can go play too, if you want,” Sunggyu told him. The kid scoffed. “I’m not a child.”

“You can play with monkey bar,” Sunggyu pointed out. “There is basketball ring too, look. But of course, if you want to sit here, it’s okay.”

Howon didn’t respond. He just sat there, not uttering a word. Sunggyu didn’t know that it was possible to be this awkward with a ten year old.

“Howon-ah,” he said finally after he couldn’t endure the uncomfortable silence anymore.

“Hm?”

“Look, about yesterday –“

“It’s okay,” Howon cut him. “We’ve made up yesterday. Also, Woohyun Hyung explained it to me. I believe you now.”

Sunggyu nodded. “Thank you for believing us. Also, It must be hard for you, to suddenly had been told that you’re actually already 26.”

“I don’t know. Until now I don’t think that I’m more than just a 10 year old kid,” Howon dropped his head. “I don’t know what to do if I’m actually already 26. Do I have to work?”

“No,” Sunggyu quickly said. “You’re 10 year old now, you can’t work because you’re underage. For now, you don’t have to do anything. Just help me taking care of the younger kids. Hopefully everything will come back to normal soon.”

Sungyeol suddenly ran to them. “Look what Sungyeollie found!” he put a little ladybug on Sunggyu’s hand.

“You don’t get one for me?” Howon asked. Sungyeol’s eyes and mouth widened, realizing his mistake.

“I’ll get you one too,” he promised Howon and ran again before any of them could even reply.

“How is Sungyeol when he is a grown up?”

“Just as annoying and as cute as he is now,” Sunggyu smiled.

“Woohyun Hyung also said the same,” Howon smiled as well.

“Do you really like Woohyun that much, Howon-ah?”

Howon blushed. “No! He’s just… yesterday he was so kind to me. I was confused and angry and he soothed me.”

“Okay, but you have to know that Woohyun and I are dating,” Sunggyu said. It was petty to tell the 10 year old like this, but Sunggyu was petty like that. He wasn’t ashamed. Howon gaped.

“What?”

“Yeah. So, don’t be too much brokenhearted over this, okay?”

“You? But surely Woohyun Hyung wouldn’t choose you right?”

“Hey! What’s wrong with me?”

“Everything,” Howon said. “I can’t believe this. Let’s go back to the apartment. I need to confirm this.”

They stopped at a coffee shop before going up. Sunggyu thought Woohyun would appreciate some caffeine boost before dealing with five devil spawns today.

“Two americanos, a hot chocolate, and three chocolate milks to go,” he said to the bartender. “What do you want, Howon-ah?”

“Whatever is fine,” the ten year old said. “I just need to get home fast.”

“Sungyeollie wants americano!” Meanwhile, the toddler had no common sense whatsoever.

“Do you even know what an americano is?” Sunggyu asked him.

“I know,” he said. “It’s tasty drink.”

Sunggyu laughed, leading them to one of the table to wait for their order.

“Where is Sungyeollie’s americano?” the kid said when their order arrived.

“This is your americano,” Sunggyu gave him the chocolate milk. Sungyeol frowned.

“This is not americano,” Sunggyu grimaced, he forgot that Sungyeol was quite smart.

“No, but you can’t drink americano. It’s bitter,” Sunggyu tried to pacify him.

“Sungyeollie wants to try!” he pouted.

“No way. Woohyun will kill me if he knows I gave you even one sip of coffee.”

“Sungyeollie wants to try!”

“Fine, fine. Here, try this,” Sunggyu pulled out his straw from the glass and gave it to the toddler, who eagerly licked it.

“Bleh!” the toddler spat and Sunggyu and Howon had a good laugh over it.

-

 

 

When they arrived at home, they found Woohyun carrying a crying Myungsoo.

“What happened?” Sunggyu asked, alarmed.

“Myungsoo is upset when he wakes up and can’t find either you or Sungyeollie,” Woohyun explained, drying Myungsoo’s tears.

Myungsoo stretched his arms to Sunggyu and it was so bizarre that any kid would even want Sunggyu to hold him. He put the drinks on the table and accepted the toddler nonetheless. The moment he was safe in Sunggyu’s arm, magically the sobs stopped.

“Is Myungsoo okay?” Sungyeol asked quietly, concerned.

“He’s okay, he’s just missing you, Yeollie. Why don’t you keep him company?” Woohyun crouched down and ruffled Sungyeol’s hair. “By the way why are you back so fast?”

“Hyung, are you really going out with Sunggyu Hyung?” Howon answered Woohyun’s question with another question. Woohyun blushed.

“How do you know that, Howon-ah?”

“Do you really?”

“I do,” Woohyun said. “Why?”

Howon looked a little crestfallen. “And here I thought I could trust your taste…” he mumbled as he walked away to the bathroom.

Sunggyu held his laugh and Woohyun just stared confusedly at the retreating kid’s back.

“What was that?” he asked Sunggyu, bringing the muffins and warm drinks inside.

“Little Howonnie has a big crush on you,” Sunggyu said, following the others to the living room.

“Really?” Woohyun looked surprised. “Oh my. What do I do with that information? Wait, so you just told him that we’re dating, just like that? You broke his heart!”

“But he keeps blushing around you! It’s better for him to know this sooner than later,” Sunggyu pouted.

“What do I do with you, Hyung,” Woohyun took one of the coffees, grinning wide. “You’re jealous with a ten year old.”

“I’m not jealous, this is for Howon’s own good,” Sunggyu defended himself.

“It’s okay Gyu Hyung, you’re still loveable to me. Anyway, thanks for this,” Woohyun sipped the americano in a pure bliss. “We will need this to go through my plan today. Here, have a drink too.”

“Thanks,” Sunggyu smiled, tried to balance Myungsoo while carefully taking one of the coffees. “What plan?”

Sunggyu didn’t like the grin on Woohyun’s face.

“Today, Hyung,” Woohyun said. “We’re going shopping!”

-

 

 

Sunggyu thought that Woohyun had gone nuts from yesterday.

“But we need so many things,” Woohyun argued. “The clothes from Jungryul Hyung only fit Sungyeol and Myungsoo, while Dongwoo, Howon, and Sungjong had to wear Myungsoo’s oversized clothes all day. Not to mention that none of them brushed their teeth yesterday, because we have no kid toothbrush.”

“But what if someone caught us? You said so yesterday!”

“Well, I change my mind. If other people see us, they’ll just think you and I are babysitting our cousins or something, right? Nobody in their right mind will think that we’re babysitting de-aged members! Plus we’ll shop at a high-end mall, so we’ll meet fewer people.”

Sunggyu knew he shouldn’t have said yes, but Woohyun always had a way to make Sunggyu agrees. Before he knew it, he was already calling a car rental, trying to find a car big enough for the seven of them. Woohyun grinned in victory all the way from their apartment to the mall.

Their first stop is a supermarket, because they need to get the basic first. They bought the urgently needed kid toothbrushes, kid friendly foodware, kid toiletries, kid skin care - Sunggyu didn't know that kids nowadays need these much of products. They also bought tissues. Lots of tissues, wet and dry. God knows they needed it.

They had to return half of the items back before paying because Dongwoo kept putting unnecessary things into their cart - from air pump to hair growth. Sunggyu gave Sunjong and Howon allowance of 10.000 won to get themselves whatever they need.

They didn't spend it. Sungjong bought gum and asked the rest in cash. Howon carefully bought a bar of chocolate (Sunggyu asked him to put it far below, covered by various other products, so the other kids wouldn't see) and asked Sunggyu to save the rest for him.

The next stop was clothing shop, and Sunggyu just yawned the entire time because he was never one for shopping. It wasn’t like he didn't want to help, Woohyun himself forbade him from participating in picking the clothes when he tried a leopard print pants for Dongwoo. 

"I won't have my kids dressed in animal print," he told Sunggyu. _My kids,_ he said, but Sunggyu didn't point it out.

Sungjong picked the most fabulous piece of clothing amongst them all (the most expensive too), and Dongwoo the most bizarre. Myungsoo for once not even lay his hand on black clothes.

This wasn't the first time they went shopping together. This wasn't the first time Sunggyu paid for his members. Usually, he'd whined and told his member that they were rich enough to buy these things themselves. However, today Sunggyu felt like he would gladly pay for the entire shop if it was for his kids.

Sunggyu had always wanted to be a singer. This was his way. This was the profession he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He didn’t need a reason to go to Woollim for practice every day. But today, as he saw his kids walking around the shop trying their new shoes and clothes, he thought this could be one more reason for him to diligently go to work every morning.

-

 

 

"Toy!" the kids shouted in joy as they ran around mall.

"Yeollie wants helicopter!"

"Myungsoo too!" Myungsoo was currently in the phase of wanting everything that Sungyeol wants.

Toy was not in their shopping list, but judging from Woohyun's face, he'd want to buy their kids anything they wished.

So that's how the seven of them ended up in a toy shop.

Woohyun had followed both Myungsoo and Sungyeol to the vehicle section, while Hoya had brought Dongwoo to sport section.

He looked around the store, trying to find a bench to sit on. He caught Sungjong eyeing a big teddy bear like the one he once owned in the aisle of stuffed animals.

"Do you want that one?" Sunggyu asked, making the teenager jumped in surprise.

"I'm not a kid," Sungjong scoffed after he controlled his expression.

"What does it have to do with being a kid? Adult can have dolls too," Sunggyu pointed out.

"Adult doesn't need dolls," Sungjong turned his heels, trying to finish the conversation and feigning disinterest. 

"You did," Sunggyu said. "You used to have one giant teddy bear too. I mean, your older self had one."

Sungjong turned his head back. "You mean the 24 year old me has a giant teddy bear?" 

"Well, not your 24 year old self, a little bit younger than that. I think the teddy got lost when we were moving dorm somewhen," Sunggyu told him.

Sungjong looked unexpectedly fuming. 

"Why does my older self have such thing?"

"You used it as my replacement. You punched it whenever you get angry with me." _And cuddle with it whenever he was feeling down too_ , but Sunggyu kept it for himself.

"I can’t believe my older self is that stupid," Sungjong commented, scowling.

"What?” Sunggyu asked, surprised. “Why are you saying things like that? Your older self is not stupid.”

“Because he has a teddy bear," Sungjong kept his scowl. “Why would a 24 year old man need a teddy bear? I will never understand. Do I really grow up to be that kind of man?”

“Sungjong, be careful with what you’re saying,” Sunggyu said coolly. “Since you’re talking about yourself, you should’ve known it better than me. But, I know you too. We’ve been living together for eight years. So, I know that you’re not stupid, and especially not just because you owned a teddy bear. I think it made you cool, because you know what you want and not afraid to have it."

Sungjong didn't answer.

“I don’t know why you don’t want it anymore,” Sunggyu said. “And it’s okay if you really don’t want it anymore. But, it’s also okay if you want it. I can buy it for you and pay it separately, so the other won't know."

The other would know anyway when the teddy bear arrived home, and Sunggyu  knew Sungjong knew that too, but maybe he didn't have to tell him about that now.

“But…” Sungjong hesitated.

“Honestly Sungjong, it’s just a giant teddy. It doesn’t imply anything about you,” Sunggyu said.

“Well then… okay,” Sungjong said, biting his lips.

His voice is soft and tiny, but Sungjong must have been gathered a lot of courage to say it, so Sunggyu patted his back.

"Excuse me, but does this store have delivery service?" he asked one of the shopkeeper. "We want that giant teddy to be sent to our address."

Of course the store delivered, so Sunggyu paid for the teddy. Sungjong wanted the chocolate one instead of the white one like before.

"Thank you," Sungjong said, low but genuine.

"That’s nothing, Hyung is rich," Sunggyu smiled, feeling proud to be able to buy Sungjong something. Sungjong snorted, although it just sounded obligatory instead of contempt.

And that was when Woohyun found him, breathless and panicked and almost crying.

"Woohyun-ah, what's wrong?" Sunggyu was alarmed.

"Sungyeol and Myungsoo, Hyung," he said. "I lost them."  
-

 

"How did it happen?"

"I was just checking on Dongwoo because he showed me something from the sport section. I talked to him for a maybe half a minute or so. The moment I looked back, they weren't there. I looked around the aisle, and they weren't there either."

"Calm down first, Woohyun. They will be okay. We'll search for them and ask for help from the shopkeeper."

"I'll help," Sungjong offered.

They split to search. Sunggyu started looking from the far left, Woohyun from the far right, Sungjong and Howon from the center.

Sunggyu passed by the aisle for girls - with dolls and houses and rainbow colored toys. He doubted the boys would be interested in these, but he still searched thoroughly. He met Sungjong midway, and the teenager shook his head.

Together they went to the meeting point, in front of the cashier. Woohyun was there already, shouting loudly to the cashier and one of the staffs, voice shrill from fear and anger.

"How could you not notice not one but two kids ran out of the store?!"

"I'm so sorry, but I really don't know, Sir. You know, sometimes I look at the monitor or other direction, and not always the store entrance," the cashier said, defensive but still polite enough. Sunggyu took a pity for him, so he approached the younger man.

"Woohyun-ah, come on, it's not the poor man's fault," Sunggyu coaxed him. 

"But-"

"Can we see the CCTV feed?" Sunggyu asked, eyeing the camera on the wall, facing the entrance.

"I have no authority to look at it," the cashier said.

"I fucking know that," Woohyun yelled. "Just bring us to the manager."

Thankfully the manager was professional and friendly. He listened to them sympathetically and allowed them to check the CCTV feed from the computer in his room. He even offered them some tea and comforting words, also dispatching all of the staffs who were currently not serving a customer to look around the shop carefully.

"Look," Sungjong pointed at the monitor. "They really went out of the store."

There was a feed of Sungyeol holding Myungsoo's hand, leading him out of the store.

Sunggyu felt weak because if they got out of the store, then the possibility of something bad happened...

Thankfully at that time one of the shopkeepers ran inside the room and shouted, "I found them!"

"Where?!" Woohyun practically crossed the room in one big leap only.

"The... the furniture shop next door," he said. "I'm friend with one of the shopkeepers and she told me there are two toddlers asleep in one of the display bed."

Woohyun didn't even listen until the shopkeeper finished his sentences before he ran outside. Sunggyu thanked him before following.

It was easy to make out which bed in question was once they entered the furniture shop. Some female shopkeepers were giggling and cooing, surrounding the bed where the two toddlers were currently sleeping. Woohyun pushed through them until he could see that they were indeed Myungsoo and Sungyeol.

Sunggyu caught the younger man when he was about to wobble, his feet losing strength. They picked up the children, profusely apologized, and then went back to the toy store where the other kids were waiting.

“Sungyeol,” Sunggyu said to the toddler in his arms when he was finally awake from all the commotion. The toddler rubbed his eyes and looked at him questioningly.

“Sungyeol-ah, why did you go without telling Hyung first? Hyung was panicked,” Woohyun immediately turned his head to the sleepy toddler, Myungsoo was still asleep in his arms.

“Myungsoo is sleepy, so Yeollie want to take him to bed.”

Sunggyu wondered if Sungyeol deserved to be told off over this, but Woohyun said something first.

“That’s really kind of you, Yeollie. But when we are not at home, you have to tell Hyung first before you go alright? If not, we’ll get worried. You don’t want us to worry, right?”

Sungyeol shook his head.

“Alright. Thank you for understand,” Woohyun kissed the top of the toddler’s head. “Now that everyone is present, should we go home before anything else happen?”

The other kids agreed, they were getting tired anyway. They bought lunch for take away in one of the restaurants before heading home.

Overall, it was a little disastrous, but they managed to get home save and content, and that was what mattered.

Not that Sunggyu would take the five of them shopping again anytime soon.

**-  
**

“Hyung, we need to talk,” Woohyun said to him once they tucked the kids to their beds.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Sunggyu sighed. “But I haven’t found any clue about what had happened to us and how to undo it.”

“Same as me,” Woohyun said. “Internet search only gave me fanfiction links, from page one to twenty. But that’s not what I want to talk about.”

“Oh?” Sunggyu questioned the younger man. They were in the kitchen. Sunggyu found himself pulling out a pot and a pack of ramyeon. Usually he wouldn’t dare to eat something as greasy as ramyeon after 9 PM, but hey, they were in the middle of hiatus. Also, he got kids, five kids to be exact, so he excused himself.

“Make me some too,” Woohyun requested. “Hyung, I think the kids need to get engaged in some kind activities during the day. Like, Sungjong and Howon and Dongwoo should be in school studying, while Sungyeol and Myungsoo should play in the kindergarten.”

“You know we can’t do that,” Sunggyu gave him a look while stirring the noodles. “What are we supposed to do, enroll them to the nearest school using the documents that said they were born more than twenty years ago and ask for understanding?”

“Of course not,” Woohyun patiently answered. “I mean, we could teach them ourselves.”

“And how exactly are we going to do that?”

-

 

Dealing with the youngest three was physically exhausting, Sunggyu found out. It was harder than practicing their choreography 18 hours a week. Between chasing, carrying, and sometimes being punched, Sunggyu was sure he’d lose at least 10 kg by next month.

Sunggyu would still prefer that than dealing with the oldest two. Or hell, actually, he’d even take Howon as well, as long as Woohyun would take Sungjong. He started awkward with Howon, but they were sort of buddy now, and rival for Woohyun’s affection. And Sunggyu was clearly winning, so he had no problem competing with the ten year old.

Sungjong on the other hand, didn’t need any chasing or carrying, but he needed space and identity. While it wasn’t physically exhausting, it was emotionally draining.

Sungjong showed up from his room three times a day during meals and maybe three or four more times for bathroom breaks.

“Okay, children!” Sunggyu announced during breakfast on their fifth day together (still no sign of sudden growth overnight). “From today, we will study together during the day, every day. Woohyun and I will teach you various lessons you need to learn. So, after this, go wait in the living room while we prepare the lesson for you, understand?”

“Understand!” Dongwoo shouted enthusiastically. The two toddlers clapped and made general noise. Howon looked indifferent, and Sungjong didn’t even bother to hide his dislike.

“I’m not joining,” he said. “I can study for myself.”

“Now, Sungjong, that’s not the rules. You can’t waste your day doing nothing, you should study,” Sunggyu argued. Sungjong looked even more annoyed.

“I’m not saying I don’t want to study!” he shouted. “I’m just saying that you don’t need to teach me! I’m going to learn it alone! Just give me a laptop!” he said while getting off his chair and went back to his room.

“The kid will suffocate there,” Sunggyu commented, observing Sungjong locking himself in.

“Now, I told you not to use ‘rules’ with Sungjong. That doesn’t work with Sungjong. Actually, that doesn’t work with any teenager,” Woohyun said, putting the dirty plates from their breakfast away.

“So, what do I do?” Sunggyu asked. Woohyun sighed.

“Just give him a laptop. Let him study alone.”

-

 

 

Sunggyu’s first genius idea for a lesson is… a lesson in drawing. When they went shopping yesterday, Woohyun had bought a stack of paper and crayon. Sunggyu simply gave one for each of the youngest three and scattered the crayons on the table. Now all he had to do was supervising and made sure the toddler wouldn’t eat the crayon.

“Are you kidding me?” Howon frowned when he realized what their first lesson was.

“You don’t belong there, Howon-ah,” Woohyun called from the kitchen. “You’re here with me to study math.”

“I’m studying with you, Hyung?” Howon’s face changed drastically from disgust to excitement. Sunggyu didn’t even bother to feel offended because this was the easiest job and he would never change it with Woohyun’s.

“Yeah, come and sit here next to me!” Woohyun patted the dining chair next to him. He had printed several pages of material and practice test for this purpose. Howon ran there in three seconds and didn’t leave for the rest of the morning.

“You’ve already finish this all?” Woohyun exclaimed after three hours passed. “Wow, and all correct. You got 100 points Howon-ah, you’re really clever!”

Howon laughed happily and the slyly add. “Hyung, since I’ve done so well, can’t you give me a reward?”

“Of course, Howon-ah. What do you want? Chocolate or ice cream?”

“None of those,” Howon said. “Can I get a hug from you?”

“Oh, Howon,” Woohyun laughed. “You shouldn’t even call it a reward. I’ll hug you whenever you want to!”

And then Woohyun hugged the ten year old, even patting his back and ruffling his hair with so much affection. Howon blushed scarlet, Sunggyu observing gloomily from the living room.

“Then…” Howon asked tentatively.

“What is it?” Woohyun asked back.

“Then, can you kiss me instead? On the cheek,” Howon said, smiling cheekily. Sunggyu spluttered.

“Hey, wait! What was that? I heard that! Yah, Lee Howon, you should study properly!”

“ _You_ should teach properly, Hyung!” Woohyun suddenly interrupted. “Look at what your students are doing!”

Sunggyu looked back at his charges and shrieked, because Sungyeol and Myungsoo had painted not on their paper but on the table, the floor, and the wall.

-

 

Sungjong didn’t even come up for lunch and Woohyun came back from knocking his door, he just shook his head and offered no explanation.

“What do you think about my work earlier, Hyung? Aren’t I smart?” That’s Howon, fishing for compliment like a brat he was. Woohyun just laughed fondly as he split the spaghetti he was making into six different plates.

“You’re the smartest, Howon-ah,” he said seriously. “Even in Infinite, when you are a grown up.”

Sunggyu disagreed. “Everybody and their mother know I’m the brain of Infinite. I’m number two from the entire school during high school, and I also got into the semifinal of The Genius. While you’re also brilliant, Howon, you’re still under me, so don’t let Woohyun’s generous praise get into your head, understand?”

Woohyun ignored his comment to spazz at Dongwoo’s drawing instead.

“What did you draw, Dongwoo-yah? This is so good! You’re talented in drawing!” Woohyun took the paper from the seven year old’s hand.

“This is our family!” Dongwoo answered, explained his drawing enthusiastically. “The tall ones are Woohyunnie Hyung and Sunggyu Hyung. This is Jongie Hyung, Howonnie Hyung, and Dongwoo. The smallest are Myungsoo and Yeollie!”

“Such a lovely drawing,” Woohyun cooed.

“Wait,” Sunggyu said suddenly. “I think you haven’t finished the drawing, Dongwoo-ya. Where are my eyes?”

“It’s there,” Dongwoo pointed at two dots on the face. “It’s just too small you can’t see it.”

Woohyun and Howon laughed too loudly for Sunggyu’s liking.

“This is perfect, Dongwoo-ya,” Woohyun. “Perfect score. Additional bonus score for witty explanation. Let’s hang this on the fridge, okay? And what did Yeollie and Myungsoo do today?”

“Adding more items to my chore lists, specifically scrubbing the wall and floor from crayons,” Sunggyu said, face dark. Woohyun laughed again before they continued their lunch.

“You should talk to Sungjong,” Woohyun said when they were washing the dishes after tucking the maknae line (now consist of Myungsoo, Sungyeol, and Dongwoo) for nap. Howon, as usual, refused to nap and already prepared himself for the next lesson with Woohyun.

“What? Why?”

“I think he was having some… teenager… issue,” Woohyun said. “He will need an adult to guide him.”

“Then why don’t you do it?” Sunggyu frowned.

“Oh, come on. We all know maknae looks up at you, Hyung,” Woohyun said, handling him a clean plate to dry.

“Wait,” Sunggyu looked up in horror. “By teenager issue and talking… you don’t mean about the bird and the bee, do you?”

“Oh my God, I forgot that there is that too,” Woohyun groaned. “But what I wanted you to talk to him is not that. It’s just… he seems like he doesn’t know what he should do or what direction he should take.”

“Woohyun, he’s fourteen. Of course he doesn’t know things like that.”

“Well, he doesn’t know that. And he kind of didn’t believe me when I say that, so I hope when you’re the one who talk about this with him, he’ll understand. He looks up to you.”

“Yeah, when he was 24. But he is fourteen now, and he may not even remember anything about that feeling,” Sunggyu scratched his head. “But anyway, I see your point, I’ll try.”

“Slip in some birds and bee talk too,” Woohyun whispered quickly before he left.

-

 

 

He knocked the room and got an invite at the third try.

“I brought you lunch,” Sunggyu said, putting the spaghetti on the floor next to Sungjong’s bed. This room was actually only a closet, but big enough to sleep and Sungjong was adamant on using this as his single room.

“Thanks,” the teenager said. He was lying on top of his stomach, watching Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Youtube. Sunggyu almost whistled in appreciation but caught himself as he was reminded about the birds and the bee.

“You said you’d study,” Sunggyu said instead. Sungjong rolled his eyes before pausing the video.

“What do you want?” he asked.

“I want to know why you don’t study when you said you would,” Sunggyu said carefully.

“And why do you care?”

“I’m your leader, Sungjong.”

Sungjong scoffed. “You were my leader, when I was 24. But I don’t remember about it now, so you don’t have any authority over me.”

“You’re living under my roof,” Sunggyu pointed out. He could be assertive when he needs to, Sungjong should’ve known that.

“I know this is Myungsoo’s apartment,” Sungjong wasn’t fazed. “And the money you spend on us? I’m sure I can pay it back. I saw my saving book in my apartment before coming here. So just leave me alone until everything comes back to normal like you always say, okay?”

“Watch the way you talk, Sungjong,” Sunggyu said, a little bit colder. “Even if they are all true, I’m still older than you. Even when you come back to your original age, I’m still older than you. So, talk to me with respect.”

Sungjong was a little bit stunned by Sunggyu’s cold tone. “So?” he asked bitterly. “What do you want?”

“I want to know why you don’t study when you said you would,” Sunggyu repeated his earlier words.

“Because there’s no fucking point in it, don’t you see?!” Sungjong yelled. “Why should I study? It’s not like I can go to school even if this situation continues. And if it doesn’t, I have no reason to study either, because I’ve graduated!”

And then suddenly Sunggyu felt something familiar in those words. What was that? 

“I’m so tired with this,” Sungjong sighed dejectedly, he ignored his laptop and curled up into a ball on his bed instead.

And then Sunggyu got it.

This was Sungjong, his maknae. This was Sungjong who felt alone growing up away from his family and instead had to fight the rest of the world during his teenager year. This was Sungjong who curled up in his bed and don’t know where the path of Infinite will bring him to.

He had been treating the kid as if he was an alien invading Sunggyu and Woohyun’s private life just because he was several years younger than Sunggyu had met him for the first time before.

Suddenly he felt ashamed and sorry for his behavior. He sat on the bed, rubbing the youngster’s back firm yet gentle. He knew Sungjong liked to have someone comforting him that way.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “For forcing you to do something without asking your opinion first. I’ll think of something for you to do that is not pointless or useless, okay?”

Sungjong didn’t answer so Sunggyu kept sitting there, rubbing his back in circle. After half an hour, he finally said, “Okay.”

Sunggyu told him to eat before exiting the room.

This was Sungjong who wanted to do something good for Infinite but was never given the opportunity for. Now, he knew exactly what to do.

When he told his idea to Woohyun when he exited the bathroom, the younger kissed him out of sheer happiness. Thankfully Howon was still focusing on his work on the dining table.

-

 

 

“Composing?” Sungjong asked during dinner that night.

“Yes,” Sunggyu said. “Your older self is learning composing too. I think if you learn it now, it will be a good exercise, so when you return to original age you won’t lose too much time to practice.”

“I support that,” Woohyun said. “Who knows if you can even finish a song? Then even if you came back to your original age, the song won’t disappear either.”

“That’s…” Sungjong was at loss for word. “That’s really cool. And interesting. Can I really learn composing?”

“Of course, I’m suggesting it for you, aren’t I?”

“But, who will teach me?” Sungjong asked, still look puzzled and disbelieving over the whole news.

“Woohyun here,” Sunggyu said proudly. “is our most prized singer-songwriting member of Infinite.”

Woohyun blushed although he also laughed happily.

“Hyung, you’re making me blush,” he said, accidentally feed the rice on his hand to Sungyeol’s nose instead of his mouth. The toddler made a protest and Woohyun immediately paid proper attention to him.

“And where should we study? How?” Sungjong asked for further information.

“I can take you to my apartment every morning,” Woohyun said. “I have my own studio for composing there.”

“That’s great,” Sungjong flushed with happiness. Dongwoo was happy to see his hyung happy, as well as the two toddlers. The only one who looked remotely unhappy was Howon.

“But what about our morning lesson?” he whined. Sunggyu should’ve recorded it in his phone, for future blackmail material.

“Don’t worry, Howon-ah,” Woohyun pacified the elementary schooler. “Sunggyu Hyung will teach you, he is even smarter than me. Also, we still get our afternoon session as well.”

“I don’t want Sunggyu Hyung!” Howon jumped from his seat. “I want to have a lesson with Woohyun Hyung!”

The kid ran to his room, not even finishing his dinner. Sunggyu and Woohyun exchanged a look before sighing.

Howon refused to talk even to Woohyun for the rest of the night.

One matter solved, another came.

That was parenting.

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family fight, but they make up

 

 

 

Here is the thing about parenting: It is hard.

They always did kai-bai-bo when it was time to feed the babies. The winner got Myungsoo, and the loser Sungyeol.

That was because Myungsoo was the sweetest little boy when he was eating. Just put the plate in front of him and he would eat everything - no matter using utensils or hands. The real challenge was when he wasn't eating. The kid was always hungry and he liked to throw some tantrums when he got late meal, but when the food was in front of him, he was fine.

Sungyeol, however, couldn't have care much about food more than he cared about bath. You couldn't just put a plate in front of him like you did to Myungsoo, because chances are those foods would end up not in his stomach.

Where, you ask? Well, it could be the floor, wall, or sometimes even Sunggyu's face or Woohyun's hair. It depends on the kind of food and little one's mood and sugar level.

It was Sunggyu losing once again, and it had been almost one hour but Sungyeol's rice was still only half eaten on his plate.

"Aaa," Sunggyu feed him another spoon when he checked that Sungyeol wasn't chewing.

"M'not inished et," Sungyeol said, showing him the food in his mouth. Which was disgusting, but that was really nothing. Sunggyu had seen worse.

And also, it meant the kid didn't even chew the food and just sort of saved it inside his mouth. Sunggyu sighed, envying Woohyun who was now pacing around slowly in the living room, coaxing Myungsoo to sleep.

"Chew, Sungyeol-ah. Follow Hyung. Nyam-nyam-nyam," Sunggyu coaxed with a song.

Sungyeol shook his head, he was really playing with Sunggyu. Sunggyu suppressed his temper.

“Come on, Yeol. You’re eating this or no food at all.”

Sungyeol spat the food in his mouth to his lap.

That made Sunggyu’s patience suddenly dried up and he stood up.

“Enough of that, Lee Sungyeol! Follow me now!” he pulled the kid’s hand to their bedroom. Woohyun raised his eyebrows and Myungsoo was suddenly awake.

“No! No! I don’t want to!” Sungyeol struggled from his hold.

Sunggyu sat the kid down on the chair.

“This is the thinking chair,” Sunggyu told him. “When I make you sit here, it means you’ve made a mistake. You’re being naughty. And I want you to think about it here.”

“Yeollie doesn’t want to –“

“Silent.” That made him shut up.

“Do you know what your mistake is?”

Sungyeol shook his head. Sunggyu held his anger.

“Your mistake is for spitting out food and refusing to eat.”

Sungyeol stayed silent.

“Don’t you know that playing with food is bad?”

Sungyeol stayed silent.

“You need food to get healthy and grow. Woohyunie Hyung worked hard to make that food for you. Do you want to make his effort goes to waste?”

Sungyeol started sniffling. “No,” he said.

“Do you understand why you are here?”

“Yes,” he said. “Yeollie played with food. Yeollie didn’t want to eat. Yeollie made Woohyunie Hyung upset.”

“That’s right. And what do you should say at this time?”

“Yeollie is sorry.”

“And?”

“And?”

“Yeollie is sorry and Yeollie promise not to do that again,” Sunggyu guided him.

“Yes. Yeollie is sorry and Yeollie promise not to do that again,” he outright sobbing right now. “Yeollie is sorry.”

“It’s okay, baby,” Sunggyu finally softened his voice. “You made mistake. It’s okay. The important thing is to say sorry and not repeat it again, okay?”

“Okay.”

He hugged the younger, releasing him from the thinking chair. Sungyeol launched himself at him. Sunggyu rubbed his back and praised him for serving the punishment, and then gave him to Woohyun to resume eating when he calmed down.  

-

 

 

Howon was still sulky about the whole Sungjong-Hyung-takes-away-Woohyun-Hyung-from-me-every-morning thing.

If Howon was a difficult student for Sunggyu, then sulky Howon was impossible.

“So how much left until you finish the workboo – hey! Howon, you haven’t done a thing!” Sunggyu exclaimed, snatching Howon’s workbook and eyeing the clean, empty page on it. He had left the ten year old to do it after he explained the basic because he had to supervise the other younger kids (they have lego building lesson today – Woohyun would kill him if he knew but he was away in his own apartment teaching Sungjong composing so he wouldn’t know).

“It’s hard,” Howon said disinterestedly.

“It’s not hard. I’ve taught you how to solve it. Also, you did yesterday’s workbook excellently and this is not that different from the last,” Sunggyu gave him a look.

“Well, you don’t teach as well as Woohyun Hyung!” Howon said.

“Yah, Howon-ah! You can’t be picky about your teacher, they’re like parents. You don’t choose them,” Sunggyu scolded him. “Also, I teach as well as Woohyun. That’s a fact.”

“You’re delusional,” Howon said. “No, I can’t do this. I don’t want to learn this.”

He got off from the dining chair, leaving a stunned Sunggyu behind. Thankfully he didn’t pull a Sungjong and locked himself in his room. He just joined the other kids building a lego tower.

“Lee Howon, come back here!” Sunggyu called, voice raised.

Howon clearly heard him, but he made no attempt to reply or even look back.

“Lee Howon!” Sunggyu called, trying to desperately keep his temper in check. Remember not to punish him when you’re angry, remember not to punish him when you’re angry, he mouthed to himself the words Woohyun told him last night.

He counted one to ten, then repeated it for three times until he could approach the younger without feeling like shouting.

To his surprise, Howon was actually enjoying playing lego and not just doing it to spite Sunggyu.

Sunggyu decided to let him do as he pleased today, as a consolation for getting Woohyun taken away. Sunggyu would be honest, if Woohyun was taken away from him he would be devastated too.

-

 

 

Woohyun and Sungjong arrived home just a little past lunch. Sungjong looked so happy, none of the usual scowl adorning his face as he excitedly babbled about his lesson.

“I know the difference between melody and harmony now,” he told them during lunch. Woohyun and Sungjong had bought takeaways on their way home. “And Woohyun Hyung let me listen to his newest songs collection. They’re all so good. He said he’ll let me write the lyric for one of them!”

“Really?” Sunggyu asked, happy for once to see his idea had helped Sungjong to be more open and active. “What do you plan to write?”

“I still don’t know,” Sungjong flushed, but only from excitement.

“Sungjong is clever,” Woohyun confirmed. “He actually made his first composition today, it’s only a verse, but it’s really good. You should listen later, I recorded it in my phone.”

After lunch, Sunggyu told Woohyun about Howon’s behavior this morning. “Really?” he was surprised. “He looked fine at lunch!”

True to that, whatever low mood Howon sported this morning vanished when Woohyun arrived home. He prepared his workbook and stationary on the dining table as soon as lunch ended.

Poor him, it was just today that the toddlers refused to fall asleep after noon. Sunggyu had tried to handle both of the toddlers alone by reading them stories and locked the bedroom door. Usually they would fall asleep in thirty minutes maximum, but it had been one hour and they were shrieking to be let out from the room.

“Myungsoo-yah, Sungyeol-ah, come on. Hyung is very tired and want to sleep,” Sunggyu coaxed them from the bed.

“Hyung sleep alone,” Myungsoo answered, turning the door handle.

“We want to play,” Sungyeol added, punching the door.

“Don’t hit the door, your hand will get hurt,” Sunggyu told Sungyeol. He ran his hand through his hair, didn’t know what to do with this situation. Usually, Sunggyu could pick them up and rock them a little. This technique never failed him before, but not in this situation. When he held Sungyeol, Myungsoo was too noisy and it distracted Sungyeol. It was the same when he switched the kids.

“LET OUT!” finally the toddlers were frustrated enough to start throwing tantrums.

“LET OUT!” they pounded on the door.

“Hyung?” the door was knocked from outside. “What happened?”

It was Woohyun’s voice, so Sunggyu resignedly opened the door, much the two toddler’s pleasure. They ran out of the room the moment it was half opened.

“The babies,” he said miserably. “They don’t want to sleep.”

Woohyun sighed, understanding the misery in Sunggyu’s voice. “I’ll help you,” he said.

Sunggyu caught Myungsoo and picked him up, brought him to the balcony to rock him to sleep. With Sungyeol in Woohyun’s arm in the opposite side of the house, there was no one to disturb him and he was asleep within minutes.

When he passed the living room to put the kid on the bed, he saw that Howon was no longer in the dining room.

-

 

 

There was something wrong with Howon.

The second day, he was still as much as disinterested to do his workbook and preferred to play with the younger kids in the living room (they were watching children education video Sunggyu found in the internet). The disinterest even persisted until it’s almost time for Woohyun and Sungjong to get home.

“Howon,” he called from the dining room. “You can’t skip your lesson today.”

Howon ignored him.

“Yesterday I let you because you were missing Woohyun. But you clearly know that you still get him in the afternoon. Now, you come sit here and finish this workbook.”

“I don’t want to!” Howon shouted.

“Why?” Sunggyu asked, trying to be patient. “Come here and tell me why.”

“I want to be here,” Howon said, eyes not leaving television. Sunggyu sighed and came to the living room. The other kids were engrossed in the video and didn’t even glance at Sunggyu or Howon.

“Howon-ah, it was a video for five-seven years old. I know it is not that interesting for you.”

“I like it here,” Howon said quietly.

“Why? Because I’m the one who teach you and not Woohyun?” Sunggyu asked. “Aren’t you too much, Howon-ah? Hyung tried hard to teach you but you clearly disrespect me with this behavior. I know you like Woohyun better, but shouldn’t at least respect me as your other Hyung?”

“No,” Howon bowed his head and only after Sunggyu saw his shoulder shook that Sunggyu realized the boy was crying.

“Why are you crying?” Sunggyu asked, alarmed. He sat down next to the younger.

“No, I’m not here to avoid you. I like it here because you pay attention to me more when I’m here,” Howon confessed. Sunggyu was at loss.

“Howon-ah, what do you mean I pay attention more to you when you’re here?”

“Because you always play with Dongwoo, Sungyeol, and Myungsoo all morning, while you only explain the lesson for half an hour for me in the morning and then leave me to do my workbook and only check on me once an hour,” he sobbed. “I hate sitting alone on the dining table.”

Sunggyu felt like he was stabbed with a knife. Did he really do that to Howon? Yes, yes he did.

“Howon-ah…” he said. Not knowing what to say, he pulled the younger close to him. The rest of the kids now watched them in worry, noticing that Howon was crying.

“Howon-ah, I’m sorry. Hyung doesn’t mean to do that, Hyung doesn’t deliberaty leave you on your own,” Sunggyu said. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Howon sobbed. “I understand. The younger kids need to be watched. But I don’t want to be alone.”

“Howon-ah,” Sunggyu said, feeling so sad, guilty, and angry at himself for not realizing this problem sooner.

Sunggyu felt guilty because they always spend more time with the littlest three – for obvious reason. If they were left unattended, they could end up destroying their house or accidentally killing themselves. Also, he talked a lot to Sungjong, because the teenager obviously needed someone to guide him growing up.

Howon was always look fine before. Also, he was practically in Woohyun’s territory.

“Howon-ah, please look at me. I’m sorry that I don’t realize how lonely you are,” Sunggyu felt his eyes getting watery as well. “I will take care of you better from now on, okay? Will you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Howon was still crying. “Like I said, I understand. You have to take care of three other kids. And I’m not as mature and clever as Sungjong Hyung so I understand that Woohyun Hyung will teach him instead of me.”

“Now, now, wait,” Sunggyu tightened his hold. “Why would you think that Sungjong is cleverer than you?”

“Isn’t that why you let Sungjong Hyung learn composing and not me?” he asked, the sobbing had gotten quieter.

“Not because of Sungjong is cleverer,” Sunggyu said. “How do you get that idea? It’s just because I remember Sungjong likes composing when he was an adult. Not because I think he is cleverer than you.”

“Is that why you only offer composing to Sungjong Hyung?”

“That’s true,” Sunggyu said. “I don’t know that you’re interested in composing too. You’re more a dancer in the group rather than the composer, also a rapper, too. I thought you wouldn’t get interested in composing.”

“I’m a dancer in the group?”

“Yes,” Sunggyu said. “Should I show you our choreography? You and Dongwoo often get the leading role in it.”

Howon didn’t answer, but he had stopped crying.

“Howon-ah, if you want to learn composing, you can go with Sungjong and Woohyun every morning. Or, if you like dancing instead, I can teach you our choreography in a studio. We’ll go every afternoon when the babies are napping. What do you think?” Sunggyu continued.

“I like dancing,” Howon said. “I would like you to teach me dance.”

“Okay then, deal?”

For the answer, Howon buried himself on Sunggyu’s chest. He rubber the younger’s back and they stayed like that for a long time.

“Is Howonie Hyung okay?” Dongwoo asked, voice laced with concern. Next to him, Sungyeol and Myungsoo were also observing them with teary eyes.

“He’s okay,” Sunggyu smiled. His babies were good and loving kids. “Howonie Hyung is feeling a bit lonely, so next time you must always make sure that he won’t feel like that ever again, okay?”

“Of course!” the kids chorused and joined the hug. And if Sunggyu felt Howon crying again, he knew it wasn’t from loneliness again.

-

 

 

Woohyun was shocked when he told him the event in the morning and soon he agreed to make a new arrangement. To make it fairer and to ease Sunggyu’s burden, Woohyun would take Sungjong and Dongwoo every morning to his apartement. Dongwoo was too young to learn composing, but Woohyun could let him play with instrument and juggling teaching between two children was still possible.

The arrangement worked very well. For quite some times, there was no protest of dissatisfaction or unseemly behavior from any of the kids.

But of course, nothing lasted forever, especially not with kids around.

“We’re home!” Dongwoo shouted from the entrance, bursting into the living room and straight into Sunggyu’s arms.

“Welcome home,” Sunggyu greeted them, scooping Dongwoo into his arms.

“Where are the other kids?” Woohyun asked him when he entered the living room, Sungjong trailing behind. “Let’s have lunch. I bought Happy Meals for the kids.”

They enjoyed the meals together. The kids got a hot wheels car each. They got two red cars and one blue car. Dongwoo and Sungyeol want the red ones. Originally, Myungsoo wanted the blue one, but he changed his mind and wanted the red car too after the other kids had laid his hands on it. He took Sungyeol’s. Fight ensued, but Dongwoo gave away his red car and took the blue one instead.

Myungsoo, like any other four year old, was in the phase of copying everything his older brother did.

Sungyeol, like any other older sibling, was annoyed by this.

“Don’t copy me!” he said to Myungsoo the next time they were playing together. “Yeollie wants to be the cops, so Soo should be the thief so we can play.”

“But Myungsoo wants to be the cops too!” Myungsoo whined.

“But if we both becomes cops, we can’t play,” Sungyeol explained, annoyed.

“Then Yeollie be thief!”

“No, Yeollie wants to be the cops first. Yeollie said it before Myungsoo!” Sungyeol stomped his feet.

“Hey, kids,” Sunggyu interrupted them. “You can take turns, you know. Sungyeol can be the cop first, and then Myungsoo next.”

“Don’t want to take turn!” Sungyeol yelled again. “S’not about that. Myungsoo keep copy Yeollie! Yeollie doesn’t like that.”

“Myungsoo don’t copy Yeollie!” Myungsoo screamed back. “Myungsoo wants to be cop but Myungsoo don’t copy Yeollie!”

“Myungsoo did it yesterday too! And the day before that! And the day before that!”

“Sungyeol,” Sunggyu said, finally deemed it serious enough to go crouching and looked at the toddler in the eyes. “Let Myungsoo copy you, okay? He’s just looking up at you as his older brother.”

“No!” Sungyeol shrieked.

“No!” Myungsoo shrieked too.

And then before Sunggyu knew the toddler launched themselves to each other, hitting and biting and kicking and Sunggyu thought this was too soon for them to know what to do in physical fight. He separated them and quickly picked Myungsoo up so Sungyeol couldn’t reach him.

Both the kids thankfully had no visible cut or bruise, but both sporting a hurt look and wet eyes.

“You know what?” Sunggyu said angrily. “This is not tolerable! Hyung will punish you for this. Sungyeol, follow me!” he said to the five year old and walked into the bedroom, to their thinking chairs.

Sunggyu put Myungsoo down and sit him on the chair, gesturing to Sungyeol to do the same. When both kids are seated, Sungyeol started whimpering.

“No crying,” he said sharply. “No crying when you make mistake. Now, do you know why Hyung is angry?”

Sungyeol cried anyway, although at least he tried not to.

“Do you know why Hyung is angry?” he repeated the question.

The toddlers looked at each other and then nodded, slowly.

“Good. And why is that?”

“Yeollie fight Myungsoo,” the kid said, head down. Sunggyu nodded.

“And you, Myungsoo? Why is Hyung angry?”

“Myungsoo also fight Yeollie,” the kid said, voice so small that Sunggyu almost felt bad. Scratch that, he already felt bad for having to scold these kids. But someone had to, or the kids would not learn.

“That’s right. Hyung is angry because you two fight. You are sibling, you are family. Tell me, Sungyeol, do you love Myungsoo or not?”

“Yeollie love him,” Sungyeol answered quietly.

“Myungsoo love Yeollie too,” Myungsoo said before Sunggyu even asked him to.

“So, why did you try to hurt each other?” Sunggyu asked.

Sungyeol broke down in tears again, but this time the tears were because he felt sorry for Myungsoo instead of to gain sympathy, so Sunggyu let him. Myungsoo started to get teary eyed too, hand reaching out for Sungyeol’s.

“Are you sorry to each other?” Sunggyu helped them to voice their feeling. The two kids nodded. “Then tell that to each other.”

“Myungsoo is sorry. Myungsoo don’t want Yeollie get hurt,” Myungsoo said it first, head bowing and voice so small, but his hands squeezing Sungyeol’s tightly.

“Yeollie is sorry too,” Sungyeol squeezed Myungsoo’s hand back. “Yeollie hurt Myungsoo. Yeollie don’t want to hurt Myungsoo again.”

“Is Yeollie not angry again to Myungsoo?”

“No,” Yeollie said. “Can Myungsoo forgive Yeollie too?”

“Of course,” Myungsoo said, and even before Sunggyu gave any more instruction, the kid leapt from his chair and threw himself on Sungyeol’s. Sungyeol caught him and didn’t let him go, although it must be very uncomfortable for the five years old kids.

Sunggyu melted internally, his temper vanished somewhere when the kids started apologizing.

Sungyeol and Myungsoo were such sweet, kind, and good children. He felt strangely proud of that fact.

-

 

 

This was the thing about children: they got sick.

That night, Dongwoo suddenly got a fever. He was pale and sweaty, his voice was hoarse and raspy. He still smiled at them during dinner, however, until he faceplanted into his bowl of kongguksu, too dizzy to hold his head up.

Woohyun and Sunggyu immediately stood up. They wiped the boy’s face and carry him back to his bedroom.

“Since when did you feel sick, Dongwoo-ya?” Woohyun asked when they changed his clothes.

“Morning…” Dongwoo said, groaned.

“Morning?” Sunggyu was surprised. Why the hell didn’t Dongwoo tell them? And how the hell he didn’t notice? He looked at Woohyun and saw that the same process of thought was running in the younger’s mind.

They didn’t scold Dongwoo, but they told him gently that when he felt sick, he must tell them immediately. Sunggyu ran to the nearest pharmacy and bought some cold syrup for children. Woohyun put a cold compress on his forehead and stayed until Dongwoo was asleep.

Sunggyu put the younger kids to sleep and asked Howon to stay with Sungjong tonight. Sungjong didn’t protest when Howon entered his room, bringing a pillow and a blanket. He protested, however, when Sunggyu tried to tuck them in. Not quite politely too, in Sunggyu’s opinion, but he would let it slide just this once.

Woohyun was sitting down on the sofa when he left Sungjong’s room. The younger was biting his lips.

“Woohyun-ah,” he called his boyfriend, sitting down next to him. “How is his fever?”

“Still doesn’t break yet,” Woohyun said. “Hyung, what if it’s more than just fever? What do we do? We can’t bring him to a hospital because he has no document whatsoever!”

“It won’t be more than fever, Woohyun-ah,” he said, tried to calm the younger down.

“And how would you know that?!” Woohyun suddenly shouted. “You keep saying that everything will be alright, but what if they won’t?!”

“Woohyun-ah, calm down!” Sunggyu didn’t understand why Woohyun was suddenly so agitated. “When did I even say that?”

“Every single fucking time!” the main vocal spat. “When the kids were missing in the mall. When Sungjong left home. When all of these happened!”

“But they turned out to be fine!” Sunggyu argued.

“What about us then, Hyung? We aren’t fine! We’re still like this… it’s been almost two weeks already!” Woohyun shouted. “What if they never come back? What should we say to their family and our fans? What will Infinite be?”

“We’ll find a way, Woohyun-ah. Please, calm down,” Sunggyu desperately tried.

“Don’t you dare say that once again!” Woohyun exploded. “We’ll find a way, my ass. You must’ve thought that we did a good job raising these children, right? But Hyung, we did not! We aren’t parents. These children right now don’t even exist legally. Sungjong and Howon and Dongwoo should go to school, but they can’t! And look, we have a sick Dongwoo and if he gets worse, what should we do? We can’t take him to the hospital! Admit it, you don’t have a plan in the long run for all of us, so stop saying that everything will be fine unless you can tell me _how_!”

That flared Sunggyu’s temper. Maybe he didn’t know that yet, but it wasn’t like Woohyun knew any better either. And for Woohyun to question his ability to lead this family over something like Dongwoo’s fever was too much of accusation instead of concern in Sunggyu’s ears.

“You think I don’t think about the solution at all? You think I’m merely enjoying this? I researched this every day, and still I couldn’t come up with any useful info! So I do everything that I can at least do, like taking care of the children, even when I have no idea what to do!” Sunggyu screamed. “Meanwhile, what did you _do_?” Sunggyu shot back. “Dongwoo was with you since morning. How could you not notice him being sick?”

He heard gasps from behind him and Sungjong and Howon were looking at them, half afraid (and half anger in Howon’s case).

Woohyun looked hurt, so much, from Sunggyu’s accusation and Sunggyu only realized what kind of damage he had made when he saw that.

“You’re right,” Woohyun muttered quietly. “You are right. This is my fault for not being a good parent, and I lashed out to you. I’m sorry.”

The worst part was there wasn’t even a milligram of sarcasm in his tone. Woohyun really thought, genuinely, that this was his fault that Dongwoo got sick.

Before Sunggyu could say sorry, Woohyun turned on his heels and entered Dongwoo’s room, closing the door behind him softly.

“Go back to your room,” Sunggyu sighed tiredly to the two boys. He threw himself on the sofa (he didn’t even realized that both of them had stood up during the argument) and then saw two bundle of scared toddlers in front of their room.

“Yeol-ah, Soo-yah. Go back to your room to,” he ordered the two toddlers.

They didn’t listen, eyes gleaming with tears. They both suddenly ran to him and hit his foots.

“Sungyeollie is angry!” the older of the two said, and suddenly burst into tears. Myungsoo followed.

“Myungsoo is angry too!” they kept hitting him and Sunggyu let him, because he deserved it.

“I’m sorry,” Sunggyu said, brimming with tears himself, caressing their heads. “I’m such a bad parent. I’m sorry. You can be angry with me.”  

“S’not why Yeollie is angry,” Sungyeol said. Beside him Myungsoo nodded and added. “We not angry Hyung being bad. Hyung is not bad.”

“Yeollie and Myungsoo angry because Hyung fight with Woohyunnie,” Sungyeol said with small voice. He stopped hitting and buried his face on Sunggyu’s lap instead.

“Hyung hurts Woohyunnie,” Myungsoo agreed. “Why? Hyung said we are family. Don’t Hyung love Woohyunnie?”

Sunggyu’s heart skipped a beat because he realized the truth in it.

“Hyung loves Woohyunnie, very much,” he said, feeling one of tears finally slipped out of his eyes. He pulled the two toddlers into his laps.

“Then why hurt him?” Myungsoo asked, eyes filled with sadness.

“Hyung made mistake,” he admitted.

“It’s ok to made mistake,” Sungyeol said, wiping Sunggyu’s tears. “Hyung said so. The important thing is to say sorry and not repeat it again.”

Sunggyu hugged him and again, the weight and warmth in his arms gave him something to hold onto and a burst of strength. Who knew such small creatures could hold so much power?

“Hyung should say sorry to Woohyunnie and hug him,” Myungsoo said, joining their hug.

“Hyung will do that,” Sunggyu promised. “Hyung will do that. Don’t be sad, please.”

He rocked both of them until they fell asleep again. When they were safely tucked on their bed, he knocked Dongwoo’s door softly.

“Come,” Woohyun said. Sunggyu stepped inside.

The younger was lying next to a sleeping Dongwoo, eyes puffed out and red.

It took Sunggyu three strides to sit next to him.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry, Woohyun. Please forgive me. What I’ve said before, it’s not true. I’m just lashing out to you too.”

“I’ll forgive you if you forgive me,” Woohyun said. “I’ve said horrible thing to you as well, and it’s not true at all. You’ve done a lot to keep us together and I have no right to accuse you irresponsible.”

Sunggyu cupped Woohyun’s cheeks and brought his face closer. They kissed and kissed. And kissed again until everything that Sunggyu wanted to tell him but unable to do it with words were all relayed.

“How is he?” he whispered when finally he could erase the pain on Woohyun’s eyes. Maybe not all, because Dongwoo was still weakly lying next to them in fever, but at least the pain he had inflicted earlier.

“The fever’s still there,” Woohyun replied, changing the cold compress on Dongwoo’s forehead.

“I’ll do it,” Sunggyu caught his hand. “You go sleep first. I’ll stay by his side.”

They took turns staying up by Dongwoo’s side, although Sunggyu knew that Woohyun didn’t really sleeping. His fever broke at 4 AM and only after that Woohyun could finally sleep and not just close his eyes.

This was the thing about love: fight ensued, but they made up and kept going together.

-

 

 

"Hey, Howon."

Both of them were sprawled out on the studio floor, too tired to make any move. It had been two weeks since their first dance lesson together. They had practiced their dance for 3 hours nonstop. Howon was fluid and had great moves even when he was a kid, but he still hadn't developed rigorous stamina and endurance like his older self.

"What?"

Sunggyu had thought about it for few days. He had wanted to propose to Woohyun even before all of this de-aging fiasco happened, but he could never find either the right opportunity or the courage to say it. He had researched various romantic and private restaurant around Seoul, looked for recommended jeweller, and even had written several scenarios in his head.

The fact that there wasn't any real reason for him to rush also contributed to his procrastination.  
But the last three weeks had been the best time of Sunggyu's life and he knew that he wanted to do it for the rest of his life. He wanted to raise a family with Woohyun. 

So, maybe it's time for him to grow some balls and finally propose.

"I was wondering," Sunggyu said. "If you can help me."

This raised the elementary student's curiosity. "Of course I can help you. With what?" 

"I want to propose to Woohyun, and I want you to write the scenario."

"You're going to propose to Woohyun Hyung?" Howon suddenly sat up and looked at Sunggyu with mixed expression of disbelief, relief, annoyance, and happiness.

"Why? You don't approve?" Sunggyu raised an eyebrow.

Howon thought for very long before answering.

"Well, personally I think Woohyun Hyung could do better. But you're surprisingly a decent guy, and Woohyun Hyung loves you very much too," Howon said and Sunggyu wondered if he should feel offended over Howon's low opinion on him.

"And you look like you really love him too, so what can I do," he added quietly.

"Thanks," Sunggyu said, cracking the other a smile.

"Although," Howon said calmly. "If you ever hurt him, I'll hurt you ten times worse."

"I'll never," Sunggyu said seriously. 

"Why don't you ask Sungjong Hyung for help?" Howon asked after a while, changing the topic. 

"Why, can't I ask you?" Sunggyu asked the younger. 

"It's okay," Howon said, but he blushed a little. "But, I have to let you know that I charge per hour."

"Cheeky brat!" Sunggyu sat up to land a noogie on his head. He knew that Howon let himself get noogied this time and he was sure he just made a right move.   
-

 

 

He wondered if it was a good idea to brought both Myungsoo and Sungyeol on his little outing, even if Howon agreed to help. Not like he had any other option. He couldn’t leave them alone in the apartment.

He knew the answer thirty minutes after, when they were still in their parking lot, car not moving an inch from its parking spot.

If he went alone, he would’ve finished his business by now. But no, they were still in the parking lot. First, Myungsoo had to pee when they just arrived in the basement and Sunggyu had to run and asking permission from the security guard to use their toilet. Why Myungsoo voiced this the moment they were out of their apartment instead of five minutes earlier, Sunggyu wouldn’t know.

Then Sungyeol was missing among the cars parked, because when was he not missing. Sunggyu didn’t even panic again when he realized Sungyeol wasn’t standing next to them.

He dragged Myungsoo and Howon around the parking lot and found the five years old under an SUV. Sunggyu didn’t even question what he was doing and why. He just grimaced at the dirty jacket.

Then Myungsoo was tired because Sunggyu dragged him along instead of carrying him and tired Myungsoo was cranky Myungsoo and Sunggyu had to spend another five minutes coaxing him to sit on the baby car seat alone.

But this was important, so he persevered. Or being stubborn and stupid, the difference was subtle.

He drove them to a mall in the middle of Seoul and entered a jewellery shop Tablo had recommended him.

“Can I help you, Sir?”

“I wanted to buy a ring,” Sunggyu said. “For engagement.”

“Give him the most expensive one in the shop,” Howon interrupted.

“Yah!” Sunggyu glared at the elementary schooler, before smiling at the shopkeeper. “Sorry, he likes to joke. I just need some… recommendation in picking the ring.”

"I'm serious," Howon glared at Sunggyu. "If you're going to propose to him, then you have to pick the most expensive ring. He deserves the best ring in this shop."

"I know, Howon-ah, but it doesn't have to be the most expensive, right? I'll make sure to pick the most meaningful one."

“We have the newest collection from Paris,” the shopkeeper said in response to that. 

They were all beautiful and there were so many choices Sunggyu felt a little bit lost. Maybe he should have brought Sungjong here instead of Howon and the two toddlers.

“You can tell me what’s your girlfriend likes and dislike and I can help you choose, Sir,” she said.

“I want something simple yet elegant,” Sunggyu said. “White gold, with diamond as the vocal point.”

“What about this?” the shopkeeper took one ring out, smiled.

“It’s…” Sunggyu had to hold his breath because it was a ring with infinity symbol in it. A diamond was on the top of the ring, supported by the infinity symbol that acts like a bow.

“You know me?” Sunggyu asked the shopkeeper.

“Yes, of course I know you, Sir,” the shopkeeper smiled. “But don’t worry. Our customer’s privacy is protected in this shop.”

Sunggyu knew he’d take that ring. He gulped when the shopkeeper told him the price. He could rent a year of a luxurious apartment in Gangnam with it. But this was a ring for Woohyun, he wouldn’t settle for lesser ring.

“Is this good enough for you?” he showed the ring to Howon. “Look, there’s infinity symbol in it.”

“Our group?” Howon asked.

“Yes.”

“Then, I think it’s okay,” Howon said. “But, it has to be expensive.”

Sunggyu ruffled Howon's hair as he showed him the price and Howon nodded in approval. Sunggyu felt strangely proud.

“Look, isn’t it good?” he showed the ring to Myungsoo later. “When you get back, you should buy Sungyeol one of these, I recommend this place.”

Myungsoo nodded, as if he understood what Sunggyu was talking about.

The last stop was to buy tuxedo for children, five pair of them. According to Howon, they were necessary for his proposal scenario.

Now, it was all or nothing.

-

 

 

Here was Howon’s first scenario: a badass proposal. It involved ropes and Spiderman costume. Sunggyu didn’t like turning down Howon’s ideas, but for this he had to.

Here was another of Howon’s scenario: a princess proposal. It involved an Elsa dress and a white big wooden horse. Sunggyu had to reject that too.

He started to regret asking Howon instead of Sungjong when he suggested a cowboy proposal. Not that he held something against Howon, but the ten years old didn’t understand the concept of elegant yet.

In the end, Sunggyu could only choose the last scenario, which Howon at first refused to give out because it was “too basic”. It was candlelight dinner. Not in the fancy restaurant, but in their apartment, because it wasn’t like he could ask somebody to babysit the kids.

“In this scenario, all of us will help you to propose, including Sungyeol and Myungsoo,” Howon explained while showing him a paper with Howon’s hieroglyph on it. “I will be the waiter for the entire dinner. Dongwoo can be the doorman. Sungjong Hyung will bring Woohyun Hyung outside in the afternoon while we prepare everything. Sungyeol and Myungsoo should sit with you in the dining table, I’ll teach them to say something like “Please marry him” or something.”

“That’s good enough,” Sunggyu approved. “Have you told everybody?”

“I’ve told Sungjong Hyung. He agreed to take Woohyun Hyung shopping on that day. I haven’t tell Dongwoo,” Howon said.

“I think we should keep him in the dark until Woohyun leave the house with Sungjong,” Sunggyu said. “If not, he will accidentally tell Woohyun, I’m sure of that.”

Sunggyu called a celebrity chef he knew for help and he agreed to help Sunggyu for the food. Now, all he had to do was preparing his mental for the most heartpounding night after June 9, 2010.

-

 

 

“Hyung,” Sungjong called.

“Yes, Jong-ah?” Sunggyu was currently browsing throught the internet, trying to decide what kind of scented candle he should order.

“Listen to this,” Sungjong gave him a piece of earphone. A sweet, romantic melody flowed through his ears, and he looked at the younger boy in amazement.

“Hey,” Sunggyu said. “This is good. This is really good. Is this your first song?”

Sungjong flushed red a little, muttered a confirmation and thanks, and quickly added. “And Hyung, I want to give it to you.”

Sunggyu looked at him disbelievingly.

“What do you mean give it to me?”

“You can write the lyric and use it to propose to Woohyun Hyung.”

“Really?” Sunggyu was surprised. “You’re really allowing me to use this for my proposal?”

“Yes,” Sungjong said. “I want to give something to you two after everything that you’ve given to me.”

“Sungjong-ah!” Sunggyu said. “Thank you! You’re the best!”

-

 

 

It was finally the day.

Woohyun left the house with Sungjong after lunch. Once they were cleared away, Sunggyu assembled the kids to clean the apartment together. It took almost three hours.

He was a pro at bathing toddlers nowadays. He could even bath two at the same time. So, bathing and dressing Sungyeol and Myungsoo took no longer than 30 minutes. They still had to do decoration and arranged the candles.

The chef arrived with food at 5.30. Not too late, not too early.

At 5.45, Sunggyu was freaking out.

-

 

 

He had texted Sungjong ten times in the last hour, asking when they would come home. The teenager stopped responding after the third text.

The rest of them were already wearing tuxedos. The two toddlers were currently watching TV. Sunggyu usually strictly didn’t allow them to do that, but today he really needed the two to get distracted.

His phone vibrated at 6.09 and he practically jumped from his seat.

_We’re in the basement._

“Fu – fudge!” Sunggyu cussed. “Woohyun and Sungjong are already in the basement! Why can’t he let me know sooner? Get in the position, everyone!”

Sunggyu snatched the two toddlers and put them in the highchair. He turned off all the lamps in the apartment, sans some little yellow one for visibility help, and started lighting the scented candle scattered on the floor which made way all the way to the kitchen.

“Dongwoo-ya, you understand what you have to say, right?” he could hear Howon briefing Dongwoo on the entrance.

“Yes!” Dongwoo said excitedly. “Welcome home, please follow the light!”

“Welcome home, please follow the path of light,” Howon corrected.

Sunggyu actually wanted to curl his toes up in embarrassment, he shouldn’t let a ten year old making the script.

“And you two,” Sunggyu said to the two toddlers on his left and right side. “You understand what you have to say, right?”

“Marry him!” Sungyeol said it first. “Marry him!” Myungsoo echoed.

“Good. Now all I need you to do is stay silent and don’t reach for any of the food here before the time,” he hadn’t even finished that sentence when Sungyeol upturned a bottle of ketchup, the content splashed into the white tablecloth.

“Oh, no, Sungyeol –“

“It’s okay I got this,” Howon all of a sudden was in the kitchen with them. Sunggyu could see his shillouette dabbing some tissue on the tablecloth and Sungyeol’s. “Woohyun Hyung won’t notice. It’s pretty dark.”

And then the front door opened.

“Welcome home!” he could hear Dongwoo cheerfully greeted the love of his life. Beside him, Myungsoo yelled some incomprehensible babble.

“Dongwoo-ya, thank you! Why are you suddenly welcoming me? Why are you dressing up? Wait, why is it so dark? Where are the others? Oh,” he could hear every word Woohyun uttered. Amazing, considering his heart was currently pounding so hard he felt like it must have drowned Woohyun’s voice.

“What’s with the candle, Dongwoo-yah? What happened here?”

“Please follow the path of light,” Dongwoo said. “Your waiter is waiting for you.”

“Please follow me, Sir,” Howon said very politely and Woohyun laughed. Right on cue, the MP3 player next to the TV played Sungjong’s romantic composition.

“What is this?” Woohyun asked in wonder, but his voice was clearly pleased so everything should be alright, right? Sunggyu could hear each of Woohyun and Howon’s step and with every step his stomach lurched in anticipation.

“Hyung?” Woohyun finally arrived in the dining room, smiling at him and everything around them was very pretty – from the fresh bucket of flowers to the path of candle to the music in their ears, but all of them were pale compared to Woohyun, bare faced, in a black and shapeless jacket, bringing a plastic bag full of groceries.

“Hi, Woohyun-ah,” Sunggyu greeted.

 “Hyung, what it this?” Woohyun asked as Howon pulled a chair for him to sit. “Is this for me?”

“Do you like it?” Sunggyu asked, eyes not leaving Woohyun who was now sitting down in front of him.

“Of course I like it. This is so romantic. It makes me feel special that you’ve made all of these efforts. But why do you do this? Do I forget our anniversary? Oh my God, I don’t forget our anniversary, do I?”

“You don’t,” Sunggyu assured him. “And before you ask more question, should we at least eat first?”

“Of course,” Woohyun said, noticing the food for the first time. “Hyung, this is – how do you get such high quality food here? You don’t make it yourself, do you?”

“Chef Nakajima Ryuji made this, Sir. He made it specifically for the both of you,” Howon played his role perfectly.

“Hyung, I can’t believe this. You actually know how to be romantic?”

“Myungsoo eat!” Myungsoo interrupted when Sunggyu just opened his mouth to answer. He sighed while Woohyun laughed.

“Oh, Myungsoo-yah. Hyung talks too much, right? Let’s start eating, then. Howon, Dongwoo, and Sungjong should join us too.”

They enjoy the dinner with the usual laughter and funny story of the day, except Sunggyu couldn’t even taste the sushi because of his nervousness. When they finally finished, Sungjong, Howon, and Dongwoo expertly took the dirty plates away and returned with a bottle of wine.

“Hyung, this is all perfect,” Woohyun smiled at him so bright and happy.

“Woohyun-ah, I have something to say,” Sunggyu finally said, his hand fiddling with the ring box under the table. “I’ve felt this way for a long time ago, but I never find any courage to directly tell you. But these four weeks spending all my day and night with you, with our little family, I know that I will have to tell you no matter what. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Woohyun-ah.”

And with that he pulled out his hand from under the table and presented the ring to Woohyun.

“Marry him!” Sungyeol cheered.

 “Marry him!” Myungsoo parroted.

“Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!” Dongwoo chanted.

“Hyung…” Woohyun looked at him with glassy eyes, but behind the tears his eyes were shining with happiness.

Sunggyu looked at his lover’s eyes intensely and prepared himself to say the next words.

“Woohyun, will you marry me?”

Woohyun smiled and said the words Sunggyu would never forget for his lifetime.

“Yes, I would, Hyung.”

The kids applauded, cheered, and screamed. Sunggyu left his seat to stand next to Woohyun. Woohyun stood up as well and Sunggyu could put the ring on his left ring finger.

“Sunggyu Hyung,” Woohyun looked at the ring. “It’s infinite.”

“This is what I’ll give you, Woohyun,” Sunggyu said. “Everything. Infinite.”

Woohyun smiled at him and pulled him into a sweet, tender kiss.

Was there any night in Sunggyu’s life that was better than this night? Sunggyu didn’t think so.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last installment of the family, actually. Next chapter is more like epilogue than a proper chapter. However, please enjoy the story! Have a merry Christmas!


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family's farewell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, it's time to wrap this story up! Thank you for everybody for the comments and kudos. I'm really grateful that you like this fic.
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> ps: if there are any of you who are wondering where the End of the World update is, I'll try to post it either tomorrow or the day after.

 

 

 

Nowadays, when waking up, Sunggyu’s instinctive reaction was to roll his body sideways and peck his babies’ cheek. He did it every morning to the point that he didn’t even need to open his eyes to do it.

But that morning, when he did this ritual, he heard someone spluttered and a hand blocked his mouth, followed by a rather violent shove and a shriek of “What the hell, Hyung?”

That sobered him straight away.

An adult Sungyeol was looking at him bewilderedly.

On the other side of the bed, Woohyun stuck his head over his blanket. “Why so noisy?” he complained.

“Why are you here?” Sungyeol shouted, the poor boy looked completely freaked out.

“Sungyeollie?” Woohyun asked disbelievingly. “Is that you?”

“Of course it is me!” Sungyeol said, confused. “Why?”

Sungyeol’s scream earlier must be very loud, because even Myungsoo finally cracked his eyes open, wondering what was all the shouting about.

When his eyes found both Sunggyu and Woohyun, he immediately sat up.

“Why are you here?” he asked, half demanding, half confused. “Did I invite you last night?”

Sunggyu ignored him. He exchanged a meaningful look with Woohyun and the other understood him. They scrambled off of the bed and ran to the other room.

“Wait, Hyung!” Myungsoo shouted and chased after them.

Sunggyu blasted the next room door, where Howon and Dongwoo were sleeping. Howon – 26 years old Howon with a lot of muscle mass – jerked awake and looked at the two of them on the door, irritated. Beside him, Dongwoo was curled up into the sheet, but he was also his older self.

“What?” he barked.

“Sungjongie!” Woohyun gasped beside him and they quickly left the room for another.

The last room no longer contained a teenager, but a 24 year old with a mop of blonde hair instead of black. He also woke up surprised when Sunggyu and Woohyun barged into his room.

“Hyung, what does this mean? Why is everybody here?” Myungsoo’s voice asked confusedly from behind.

But Sunggyu still couldn’t answer it. He felt like he needed to hug Woohyun, so he slipped his hand on the other’s waist and brought him closer.

“They’re back,” Woohyun whispered in his ears.

“They are,” Sunggyu agreed. He felt Woohyun’s legs losing strength and he slid himself down along.

“Hyung?” he could hear the other members got out of the room and giving them a questioning stare, but he ignored them.

He felt so relieved that he couldn’t even bring himself to care about anything else except the fact that everything was back to normal.

But that wasn’t all. He could feel something else in the back of his heart. Hidden by relief, but it was there.

Then Woohyun was shaking, and he could feel wetness seeping into his shoulder, and he felt like he knows what that feeling was.

-

 

 

They were in the dining room, circling the table. Myungsoo was making them each a cup of hot chocolate while Dongwoo was patting his back.

It was so freaking weird. Just a day ago it was either Myungsoo, Sungyeol, or Dongwoo crying and Sunggyu or Woohyun making hot chocolate and comforting them.

“So, what happened, Hyung?” Sungyeol asked once the hot chocolates were served and they were all sitting.

“You don’t remember anything, Sungyeol-ah?” Woohyun asked the younger back, he was done crying although his voice was still hoarse.

Sungyeol shook his head. “Am I supposed to remember something?”

That brought Sunggyu the memory of his conversation with Hoya and Sungjong in this exact table. Was it really only a month ago? It felt like it was forever ago.

Woohyun couldn’t answer that question, just like Sunggyu couldn’t answer the same questions before. He squeezed Woohyun’s hand to let him know that he was here.

“I remember,” Sungjong broke the silence, startling everybody.

“You do?” Sunggyu asked, eyes widening. “You really do?”

“I believe I do,” Sungjong said, looking at Woohyun and Sunggyu alternatively. “But I really don’t know how to say it.”

“Me too,” Howon added. “I also remember. But seriously, did it really happen?”

“What about you, Dongwoo?” Woohyun asked their rapper, hopeful.

“I kind of remember it… very vaguely thought… like it was a memory when I was a child,” the rapper said, half careful half confused.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Sungyeol demanded. Beside him, Myungsoo nodded, supporting his best friend. “I don’t get it at all.”

“How do I even tell you this…” Woohyun bit his lips.

“Wait, I have a better idea,” Sunggyu interrupted. The rest of the member’s eyes immediately shifted to him. Sunggyu pulled his phone and unlocked it, displaying the wallpaper.

It was the photo they took last night when he proposed to Woohyun. The seven of them were together on the couch. Woohyun and Sunggyu were in the middle, smiling broadly and showing the matching rings on their fingers. Sungyeol and Myungsoo were on their laps. Beside Woohyun, Hoya was flashing a V sign and beside Sunggyu, Sungjong sat, smiling genuinely with eyes crinkling. Dongwoo was kneeling on the floor in front of them, his elbows on the coffee table – grinning so wide you can see his missing right canine.

“What is this?” Myungsoo asked, he looked both fascinated and afraid. “Are you getting married? Who are these kids?”

“It’s you,” Sunggyu said. “Look, the one on Woohyun’s lap is you and on mine is Sungyeol. You can recognize the other, right?”

“What? I don’t understand,” Myungsoo looked very lost, and so did Sungyeol.

“All of you are de-aged into kids for a month,” Sunggyu finally said. “That’s why we live here together, because we have to take care of you.”

“What?” Sungyeol asked again, completely floored. It would be comical if Sunggyu didn’t know that the kid was having a mental breakdown like now, just like what Sunggyu had a month ago.

“It was impossible. A month?” Myungsoo’s eyes roaming through the room until he found the fancy digital calendar on the kitchen counter and recognized the date.

“This is all prank,” Sungyeol said. “Is this a new kind of April fools? You photoshoped the picture and changed the date on the calendar, right?”

“No,” Sunggyu said. “This is the truth, Yeol. I have many other pictures and videos about it. Do you want to see it?”

-

 

 

It took both Myungsoo and Sungyeol only three out of twenty seven videos to make them believe it.

“OH MY GOD, DID YOU HAVE TO TAKE THIS KIND OF VIDEO?” Sungyeol shrieked while covering his faces. On the screen, two very naked toddler versions of him and Myungsoo were running around. Sunggyu remembered this scene, it was their first day and Howon was filming.

“Oh, this is nothing,” Hoya smirked evilly. “I believe there is a video of you peeing your pants. Now, which one is it?” he scrolled the laptop screen.

“Myungsoo, stop him! You’re as much as a victim as I am,” Sungyeol said.

“But I want to see more,” Myungsoo pouted. “We’re adorable.”

“You are,” Sunggyu smiled, ruffling both of his dongsaeng’s hair.

“Wait, is that Dongwoo? What is he doing with my figurine? MY FIGURINE!” Sungyeol jumped from his position on the carpet and rushed to his room. “No way!” he wailed loudly.

“It is kind of unfair that you can remember it while Sungyeollie and I can’t,” Myungsoo told him, frowning.

“But you are there too, Myungsoo-yah. You may not remember it, but we do. In our memories, you and Sungyeol are also there,” Sunggyu answered, fondly brushing Myungsoo’s hair with his hand.

-

 

 

They got into new routine easily enough. There were only some minor mishaps, like Sunggyu trying to ruffle Howon’s hair a little bit often and catching his hand mid air when he realized that Howon was much taller than his chest now.

After several of those, Howon finally sighed and told him. “You know, Hyung. You can just do it, I don’t mind.”

“Do what?” Sunggyu asked, afraid he misread what Howon means.

“Ruffling my hair. You can. If you want.”

Sunggyu smiled and hugged him instead.

-

 

 

They spent another night in Myungsoo’s apartment, because Woohyun and Sunggyu were sentimental men who take forever to move on. The other three didn’t admit why they wanted to spend another night too, but Sunggyu thought leaving this place just like that after living together as real family was not that easy.

He found Sungjong in the middle of wrapping his giant teddy bear with a plastic sheet in the room.

“I’m taking it home,” Sungjong said, his cheeks dusted with slight pink.

“I will be very happy if you do,” Sunggyu said, seriously.

“I still remember what you said when you bought me this,” Sungjong looked at him.

“I’m happy that you do,” Sunggyu smiled at him.

“Thank you, Hyung,” Sungjong suddenly threw himself into Sunggyu’s arm. Sunggyu caught him easily enough. Sungjong was always so mature, and he was the eldest of the kids for a month, but he was forever a maknae in Sunggyu’s eyes.

“Anything for you, Sungjongie.”

 

 

This time, it was Dongwoo who found him taking down the picture on the refrigerator.

“Hyung?” he asked. “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking this down,” Sunggyu said, waving the paper.

“Did I really draw this bad when I was seven?” Dongwoo snatched the picture from his hand.

“Why is it so hard to believe? It’s not like your drawing when you are 27 is any better,” Sunggyu teased him.

“Hyung!” Dongwoo protested. “Give it to me, I’ll throw it away myself.”

Sunggyu was immediately alarmed.

“Wait, what did you say? Why are you throwing it away?”

“Huh? Weren’t you taking it down from refrigerator to throw it away?” Dongwoo asked, confusedly.

“Of course not!” Sunggyu tried to pry the picture from Dongwoo’s hand, a little bit angrily. “I’m taking it down so I can bring it home. How dare you try to throw it away!”

Dongwoo looked dumbfounded for a moment.

“But, Hyung,” he finally said. “It’s just a silly kid drawing.”

“But that kid is you,” Sunggyu finally succeeded. “Look, you crumpled the corner. Seriously, Dongwoo-yah. You’ve ruined one of my favorite pictures.”

Dongwoo looked at him a little bit disbelievingly, before he sniffled and launched himself to Sunggyu.

“Hyung,” he cried. “I may not remember much about it, but you did a lot for me. Thank you very much.”

“No, Dongwoo,” Sunggyu patted his back. “I thank you.”

-

 

 

Less touching but more hilarious was his interaction with Myungsoo and Sungyeol.

He just forgot that they were no longer helpless toddler.

“Aaaa…” he turned to the two boys when they were sitting in front of the TV, eating a bowl of ramyeon, right hand holding a spoon in the air in an attempt to feed them.

Myungsoo bit it immediately, not caring about how he was fed as long as he _was fed_. Sungyeol, meanwhile, gave him the best irritated look and hold his own chopstick up, as if proving that he could eat on his own.

“You’re always the fussier one when it comes to feeding,” Sunggyu said fondly, remembered that one time Sungyeol bit his fingers when he forced him to eat.

“Hyung, seriously! Stop using that tone when you’re talking to me,” he whined.

“What tone?” Sunggyu feigned innocence.

“That _tone_ ,” he pointed out. “That baby tone. I hate it.”

“But you listen to me better when I use this tone,” Sunggyu teased him. Sungyeol adorably growled before flailing on the floor for the sheer embarrassment of this situation.

He wasn’t the only one who had the same problem, though.

“Sungyeol-ah! Myungsoo-yah!” suddenly Woohyun’s voice called out to them from the bathroom. “Come here. Hyung will give you a bath!”

“What the hell?!” Myungsoo choked on his ramyeon.

“That was pervert!” Sungyeol shrieked.

Dongwoo laughed and Sungjong smirked and Howon recorded everything on his phone.

-

 

 

They faced a little problem when it was time to sleep.

The biggest room was Myungsoo’s, with its king sized bed, but even it wouldn’t be enough for four adults. The two other rooms were even smaller. Howon and Dongwoo’s room was originally meant for single room, while the room Sungjong was using was a closet rather than a bedroom.

So, they decided to pull all of the mattresses inside the bedroom to the living room and made a huge makeshift bed in front of the TV. It was a hard work because those mattresses were heavy, but the way Dongwoo laughed in excitement stopped him from complaining.

Sunggyu hoped the seven of them can cuddle together while watching the Seoul city line in the dark. It was wishful thinking, though, because as soon as the mattresses were settled, Sungyeol, Myungsoo, Howon, and Dongwoo were involved in a pillow fight.

Sunggyu had to take refuge in the kitchen, away from all the flying feather and cotton but still had good visual access. Woohyun soon followed him, drawing a chair next to him as they watched the ensuing chaos in Myungsoo’s living room.

“Hi,” Woohyun greeted him first, slightly breathless.

“Hi,” Sunggyu turned his head and looked at Woohyun, smiling.

“You did great this month,” Woohyun smiled back at him.

“You too,” Sunggyu couldn’t stop his smiling.

“Last month really happened, right? I’m not dreaming or something?” Woohyun looked at him. His smile didn’t falter, but there was something else in there.

“We really did raise them for a month,” Sunggyu reassured the younger, his hand seek the other’s. “And we did a fantastic job, I should add.”

“Good,” Woohyun laced their finger together. “Because I’ll be devastated if your proposal turns out to be just a dream, Mr. Husband.”

Sunggyu brought his face closer to Woohyun’s.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Husband,” he whispered. “It’s all real, as real as this,” and then he closed the distance between their lips.

And suddenly Sunggyu understood why Woohyun was crying this morning and what feeling it was he felt in the back of his happiness.

It wasn’t sadness, like he suspected before.

It was that feeling people get after seeing their children grow up and no longer needed their help for every little thing they used to need.

It was a mix of pride and worry. Sunggyu couldn’t explain it, nor he could name it, but that was it.

-

 

 

“And don’t forget to turn off all the water, electronic devices, and the gas whenever you want to go out, okay?” Woohyun said.

“Yes, Mom,” Sungyeol rolled his eyes while Myungsoo hid his snickers.

“And the three of you,” Woohyun turned to glare at Dongwoo, Howon, and Sungjong. “Go straight home from here, okay? Don’t talk to stranger on your way home.”

“Woohyun-ah,” Dongwoo said patiently. “We are all adult now. We’ll be okay.”

They were cluttered in Myungsoo’s apartment entrance, saying goodbye to each other before going home to their separate way.

“I’ll miss you all,” Woohyun said, hugging each one of them except Sunggyu one more time. “If anything happens, call me. I’ve made my number the speed dial number one in all of your phones.”

“Hyung!” Sungyeol whined. “Seriously, no need to get all dramatic. We’ll meet tomorrow at Woollim anyway.”

“But Sungyeol-ah!” Woohyun tried to protest, but Howon had pulled him outside.

“Let’s go, Hyung. I want to go home already,” he said.

“Wait, where is Sunggyu Hyung?” Sungjong looked around.

“Here!” Sunggyu quickly said. He was on his way to the entrance, pulling a big plastic box.

“What is that?” Myungsoo asked questioningly.

“Your baby things,” Sunggyu answered. “You won’t need it here, will you?”

Myungsoo shook his head. “But why are you bringing it home?”

“Well,” Sunggyu was blushing a little, looking for Woohyun. “Just in case Woohyun and I decided to raise a real baby someday….”

The members exploded into various cheers and catcalls. He ignored all of them and focused on Woohyun’s face.

The other was approaching him with a very wide, very happy smile.

“I’ll be waiting for that day, Mr. Husband.”

 

 

 

 

 

**END**

 


End file.
